Matte collodion print of Harriet Tubman

Photograph by

Lindsley, Harvey B., American, 1842 - 1921

Subject of

Tubman, Harriet, American, 1822 - 1913

Owned by

Howland, Emily, American, 1827 - 1929

Medium

silver and collodion on printing out paper

Dimensions

H x W (Sheet): 5 3/8 × 3 7/16 in. (13.7 × 8.7 cm)

Type

collodion prints

portraits

Place captured

Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Date

1871-1876; printed later

Description

Matte collodion photograph of Harriet Tubman standing in an interior room setting. The full-length portrait shows Tubman facing the photographer in the middle of the frame with her hands resting on the back of an upholstered chair. Tubman wears a dark bodice with metal buttons at the center front and full-length fitted sleeves. A white ruffled lace collar is tied at her neck. Her ankle length skirt is full with gathers at the waist and a wide decorative fabric band around the skirt near the hem. Her shoes with rounded toes are visible below her skirt. Her hair is parted at the center and pulled back at the nape of her neck. A coat or other article of clothing is draped over the chair and a hat is placed on the chair seat. Behind and to Tubman's right is a table covered in a patterned cloth with a book placed on the table top. The floor is carpeted and a painted drop with details mimicking wainscoting and a fluted column is visible in the background. Handwritten on the reverse along the bottom in graphite is the text "Harriet Tubman".

The photograph was found tucked into the back of the album 2017.30, though it is too large to fit into the windowed pages of the album.

Topic

African American

Antislavery

Freedom

Photography

Reconstruction (United States History, 1865-1877)

Slavery

United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

Credit Line

Collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture shared with the Library of Congress

Object number

2017.30.48

Restrictions & Rights

Public domain

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Emily Howland Photograph Album

Classification

Slavery and Freedom Objects

Media Arts-Photography

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture