Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Written by

Douglass, Frederick, American, 1818 - 1895

Published by

Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, American, founded 1835

Subject of

Garrison, William Lloyd, American, 1805 - 1879

Phillips, Wendell, American, 1811 - 1884

Date

1845

On View

Concourse 3, C3 053

Exhibition

Slavery and Freedom

Medium

ink on paper, cardboard

Dimensions

H x W x D: 7 x 4 1/2 x 5 in. (17.8 x 11.4 x 12.7 cm)

H x W x D (open at 90 degrees): 7 × 5 × 4 7/8 in. (17.8 × 12.7 × 12.4 cm)

H x W x D (open at 60 degrees): 7 × 5 × 4 1/4 in. (17.8 × 12.7 × 10.8 cm)

Description

A first edition copy of the memoir and antislavery book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself. The hardcover book has a brown cover with an imprinted decorative border and scrollwork. The title is stamped in gold lettering in the center: [NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE / OF / FREDERICK DOUGLASS]. The frontispiece illustration is a portrait of Douglass, seated at a table, wearing jacket, vest, and tie, with his hands crossed in his lap. The first page prints the full title in alternating large and small type: [NARRATIVE / OF THE / LIFE / OF / FREDERICK DOUGLASS, / AN / AMERICAN SLAVE. / WRITTEN BY HIMSELF]. The last part of the title appears between two horizontal lines. At the bottom center is the publishing information: [BOSTON: / PUBLISHED AT THE ANTI-SLAVERY OFFICE, / No. 25 CORNHILL / 1845.]. The book has a preface written by William Lloyd Garrison and a prefatory letter by Wendell Phillips. There are 125 pages.

Place printed

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America

Classification

Slavery and Freedom Objects

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Movement

Abolitionist movement

Type

narratives

hardcover books

Topic

Antislavery

Freedom

Fugitive enslaved

Identity

Literature

Men

Resistance

Self-liberation

Slavery

U.S. History, 1815-1861

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Elizabeth Cassell

Object number

2011.43.1

Restrictions & Rights

Public domain

Usage

CC0

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd591fe36d9-f8c3-463c-9599-d71a955cbcaa