Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
- On View
- Slavery and Freedom Gallery
- Museum Maps
- Objects in this Location
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- 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
- 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
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.