Written by
Lee, Hannah Farnham Sawyer, American, 1780 - 1865
Published by
Crosby, Nichols, and Company, American, 1844 - 1864
Subject of
Toussaint, Pierre, Haitian American, 1766 - 1835
Owned by
C. Burr Artz Library, American, founded 1936
Steadman, Melvin Lee Jr, American, 1932 - 1987
Date
1854
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product), leather, and thread
Dimensions
H x W x D: 7 5/16 × 4 7/8 × 9/16 in. (18.5 × 12.4 × 1.5 cm)
Description
An 124-page hard bound book entitled Memoir of Pierre Toussaint, born a slave in St. Domingo by Hannah Farnham Sawyer Lee. The cover is dark green with a blind-stamped geometrical design on the cover. There are floral motifs on the top and bottom edges of the design and along the outer borders. The spine has gilt lettering and graphics. There are whimsical designs with long curves and flowers along the upper and mid to lower edges. [Pierre / Toussaint / H. F. Lee] is written in a gothic style font along the first quarter of the spine. Particles of the spine are beginning to flake off.
An inscription written on the right side of the endleaf reads [Melvin Lee Steadman / Hamilton, Virginia / July 31, 1966].
A detached engraved portrait frontispiece image with tissue paper covering is laying on top of the title page. It has an illustration of Pierre Toussaint with an inscription written in French with his signature below. The frontispiece and the tissue show signs of aging.
The title page shows the formal title, other works by the author, and the publisher’s information. A former owner, the C. Burr Artz Public Library has also embossed their name on the title page.
Hannah Farnham Sawyer Lee wrote the book using Toussaint's correspondence with various relatives and acquaintances along with personal interactions with Toussaint. In addition to Toussaint's life in St. Domingo, the author also provides information about St. Domingo's economy, political climate, and a brief account of Toussaint L’Ouverture, a well-known leader of the Haitian Revolution. During the unrest on the island, Pierre Toussaint, his sister, Rosalie and their enslaver, John Bérard, moved to New York, where Toussaint was trained as a hairdresser, and soon developed a growing clientele. Following the death of Bérard, Toussaint cared for Bérard’s widow, paying her debts and using his savings to buy her luxuries. Upon her death, she freed Toussaint. Toussaint then purchased his sister and his wife’s freedom. In the memoir, Toussaint does not claim to be an abolitionist, stating that he did not witness violence and bloodshed while he was enslaved. In the remainder of the narrative, he describes the development of his most important relationship, that with his wife, Juliette and his niece, Euphemia who he and his wife adopted early on in her life.
At the end, there is a short appendix which highlights Toussaint’s death announcements from New York newspapers.
Place depicted
Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Documents and Published Materials-Published Works
Type
hardcover books
Topic
Beauty culture
Emancipation
Families
Labor
Law
Slavery
Urban life
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2010.1.259
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd56284a31c-e0e2-4b0c-b0dc-b3f78883e466

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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