Child Slave ‘Cartes de Visites’, 1863

 

Slave children, freed and brought North by abolitionists to emphasize the plight of slaves. The proceeds from sale of the photographs were to be used to educate freed slaves who had come under the jurisdiction of the Union Army in the New Orleans area. A caption on one of these photographs points out that the children had been turned out of a hotel in Philadelphia because of their “color.”’

- Eastman House

 

6 comments to Child Slave ‘Cartes de Visites’, 1863

  • Tonya

    These are wonderful. They help to dispel the continued myth of what a slave is “supposed” to look like.

  • andrij

    “They help to dispel the continued myth of what a slave is “supposed” to look like.”

    huh?

    Nearly every group has been enslaved at one point or another in history….why would anyone have a “preconceived notion of what a slave has to look like?” lol

  • qka

    @ andrij

    In the United States of that time, slaves were mostly of African descent.

  • John

    I cannot but help wondering whatever became of the people we see on here who are often in dire circumstances.

  • Rose Hudson

    It’s the same three children over and over, couldn’t they find any more?

  • Shea

    I would like to learn more about this, can anyone suggest additional resources? Plus, how much research has been done on the authentication of the individuals pictured? Thank you

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