John Brown (c. 1846 – 1847)
John Brown (1800 – 1859) was one of the few abolitionists who went to such extremes to fulfill his goal. In October of 1859, Brown and his soldiers attacked Harpes Ferry, a community in West Virginia. Despite his seemingly gallant wins, Brown was hanged on December 2, 1859. Smithsonians considers Augustus Washington’s daguerreotype the first image of Brown. You may be curious about the flag he holds in his hand and the motion he makes. His hand is raised gravely in affirmation of his commitment to the constitution, which states that all men are allegedly born free. At the same time, it symbolized his dedication to the cause of abolition. The flag, meanwhile, is said to have the colors of the “Subterranean Pass Way,” an armed equivalent to the Underground Railroad.
John Brown 1846 1847
Emily Dickinson (c. 1847)
Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886) was plagued by health issues throughout her life, including agoraphobia. A modestly successful poet during her lifetime, Dickinson would become one of the most recognized American poets after her death. It has been reported by Amherst College that this daguerreotype is the only image of the poet that has been deemed legitimate to date. The daguerreotype was donated to the institution by Millicent Todd Bingham in 1956. As a result, the image was passed down from one generation to the next, with Bingham receiving it in 1894 from Wallace Keep, who had received it in 1894 from Austin Dickinson’s sister Lavinia.
Emily Dickinson 1847
