This historic decision marks a significant shift in addressing America's complex relationship with slavery, showcasing the need for greater accountability and context in presenting such fragile artifacts.
Historic Agreement: Harvard Transfers Daguerreotypes of Enslaved Ancestors to Museum
Historic Agreement: Harvard Transfers Daguerreotypes of Enslaved Ancestors to Museum
Harvard University relinquishes historic photos depicting enslaved individuals to the International African American Museum, ending a lengthy legal dispute.
Harvard University has reached an agreement to transfer a collection of historic daguerreotype photographs, believed to be among the earliest depictions of enslaved people in the United States, to the International African American Museum in South Carolina. This development concludes a protracted legal battle led by Tamara Lanier, an author from Connecticut who asserts that she is a direct descendant of two individuals portrayed in the images.
The daguerreotypes, produced in 1850—fifteen years before the ratification of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery—were discovered in the storage of Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in 1976. The collection contains 15 images showcasing individuals identified specifically as Alfred, Delia, Drana, Fassena, Jack, Jem, and Renty. According to Lanier, the settlement encompasses the full transfer of all images, opposing the prior focus on Renty and Delia alone.
Originally commissioned by Harvard professor and zoologist Louis Agassiz, the photographs served a discredited research agenda aimed at asserting white superiority through polygenism—a now-debunked theory proposing separate evolutionary histories for different races. This case has sparked broader discussions regarding how universities should reconcile their historical connections to the institution of slavery.
Harvard declined to disclose specifics about the settlement; however, a spokesperson noted that the institution had long desired to place the daguerreotypes in a more suitable context for public viewing. They acknowledged that Lanier's claims introduced complications since her connection to the subjects has not been verified.
Lanier’s legal actions, initiated in 2019, claimed that the images had been taken without consent and accused Harvard of profiting from them through licensing fees. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2022, allowing her to seek compensation for emotional distress while simultaneously affirming that Harvard's role in the creation of these images was complicit with the historical injustices involved.
Expressing her joy over the settlement, Lanier explained that she could not care for the daguerreotypes appropriately. She emphasized the emotional significance of returning them to their birthplace in South Carolina, highlighting it as a symbolic homecoming. The president of the South Carolina museum, where the images will be housed, stated an intention to present the photos with sensitivity and honesty about their origins and the historical weight they carry.
As discussions around America's buried past continue to unfold, the transfer of these poignant representations of its slave history signals a crucial step in confronting the repercussions of enslavement that still resonate profoundly in society today.
The daguerreotypes, produced in 1850—fifteen years before the ratification of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery—were discovered in the storage of Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in 1976. The collection contains 15 images showcasing individuals identified specifically as Alfred, Delia, Drana, Fassena, Jack, Jem, and Renty. According to Lanier, the settlement encompasses the full transfer of all images, opposing the prior focus on Renty and Delia alone.
Originally commissioned by Harvard professor and zoologist Louis Agassiz, the photographs served a discredited research agenda aimed at asserting white superiority through polygenism—a now-debunked theory proposing separate evolutionary histories for different races. This case has sparked broader discussions regarding how universities should reconcile their historical connections to the institution of slavery.
Harvard declined to disclose specifics about the settlement; however, a spokesperson noted that the institution had long desired to place the daguerreotypes in a more suitable context for public viewing. They acknowledged that Lanier's claims introduced complications since her connection to the subjects has not been verified.
Lanier’s legal actions, initiated in 2019, claimed that the images had been taken without consent and accused Harvard of profiting from them through licensing fees. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2022, allowing her to seek compensation for emotional distress while simultaneously affirming that Harvard's role in the creation of these images was complicit with the historical injustices involved.
Expressing her joy over the settlement, Lanier explained that she could not care for the daguerreotypes appropriately. She emphasized the emotional significance of returning them to their birthplace in South Carolina, highlighting it as a symbolic homecoming. The president of the South Carolina museum, where the images will be housed, stated an intention to present the photos with sensitivity and honesty about their origins and the historical weight they carry.
As discussions around America's buried past continue to unfold, the transfer of these poignant representations of its slave history signals a crucial step in confronting the repercussions of enslavement that still resonate profoundly in society today.
