41089.
No. 451. Street Scene.
There are other African-American images
in the ‘Oddities‘ category that are not shown here.
“Intelligent Contrabands” in manuscript bottom recto. From a description by James Arsenault: One of a series of photographs of slaves taken by McPherson & Oliver in Louisiana during the Union occupation, likely in Baton Rouge where many slaves came to the Union line following the occupation in May of 1862. Pictured are two African American men in what appears to be a makeshift studio with a hanging sheet for a backdrop and bare ground. The men are dressed in rags, one of them barefoot. A noxious period inscription, meant to cast the photo as a satire, reads “Intelligent Contrabands.”
24th Regiment, U.S.C.T. at Camp Wm. Penn. Camp William Penn was a Union Army training camp located in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania from 1863 to 1865, notable for being the first training ground dedicated to African American troops who enlisted in the Army during the Civil War. Some 11,000 free blacks and escaped slaves were trained here, including 8,612 from Pennsylvania, the most black troops recruited during the war from any northern state. This regiment was organized at Camp William Penn in Philadelphia, Pa., January 30 to March 30, 1865. They moved to Washington, DC May 5, and duty at Camp Casey until June 1. Then moved to Point Lookout, Md., guarding prisoners until July 16. Then moved to Richmond, Va., and duty in sub-district of Roanoke, Headquarters at Burkesville, until September. Mustered out October 1, 1865.
Camp Scenes. Army of the Potomac. No. 2062. Contraband Foreground. The man at right reclines on a cot with “2nd Lieut. John Shaw” written on a leg of the cot.
Yale University, 1868 titled in the Library of Congress “Smith, The Sweep.” African-American janitor with broom, basket, and keys. Oval image measures 8″ x 5.75″ on a 13.5″ x 10.75″ mount. (D)
Salt print of Aaron Molyneaux Hewlett, the first African-American on the Harvard University staff and the director and curator of the Harvard Gymnasium from 1859 to 1871. He taught gymnastics, boxing and the use of dumbbells. He is pictured here with the tools of his craft: boxing gloves, Indian clubs, dumbbells, medicine balls and the wooden wand. At the time most physical culture figures generally recommended light apparatus work but Hewlett appeared to favor much heavier clubs and dumbbells. Hewlett’s daughter, Virginia, married Frederick Douglass. In 1900, his son, E.M. Hewlett, became the first African-American lawyer to win a case before the US Supreme Court (Carter vs. Texas). Image measures 8.25″ x 6″ on a 13″ x 9.25″ mount.
Occupational, advertising CDV. The man on the right wears a hat which reads “Higgins Berman Laundry Soap is the Best,” and the man on the left wears a hat which reads “Try It.”
No. 132. Camp Scene at Fortress Monroe. George Templeton Strong seated second from left. Three African-American orderlies attend to the officers.
Photographic Incidents of the War. No. 218. Capt. H. Smith’s Mess, Co. D, 93d N.Y.V., Bealton, Va., August, ’63. Capt. Smith is seated at right going through papers. African-American camp aides in the view.
Religious Service on the deck of the Monitor Montauk. The Library of Congress has this view titled Religious service aboard the monitor Passaic, Port Royal, SC, 1863.
Group of West Indians with onions. On other side of board is a donkey cart with two passengers.
Tintype of African-American Civil War Cavalry soldier with bugle, sword (or riding crop), cap box, tinted, in profile. (D)
No. 9778. Quarters for Colored Farm Laborers, Kingsley Plantation, Fort George Island, Florida.
No. 9778. Quarters for Colored Farm Laborers, Kingsley Plantation, Fort George Island, Florida.