Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This illustrious book collects all 160 photographs of renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglass and astutely places Douglass's personal interest in photography into the context of his career and legacy. The photographs make up most of the book. Organized chronologically, each photo-reproduced in duotone-is given a full-page spread with biographical details on each photographer. In the following sections, the authors examine the effect of these photos on visual representations of Douglass in other mediums, both in his lifetime and after. They note how Douglass formed a philosophy of photography that underscored his determination to present himself as "a dignified and respected citizen." He never smiled for the camera, refuting the myth of contented slaves. The final section reprints three of the four lectures on photography Douglass delivered during the Civil War, in which he describes the mighty power of picture making "as the process by which man is able to posit his own subjective nature outside of himself... so that it becomes the subject of distinct observation and contemplation." This study provides a multifaceted, unique look at one of the most influential figures of American history. Illus. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by Library Journal Review
Abolitionist newspaperman and former slave Frederick Douglass astutely assessed the potency of photography and embraced its democratic features; in doing so he became the most photographed 19th-century American. This stunning volume presents 160 photographs, some for the first time, and they not only follow Douglass throughout his life but also place him within the times he lived. The insightful and informative introduction is followed by five parts: photographs with illuminating captions; images of Douglass that are not based on photographs; Douglass's legacy in visual arts, especially murals; three of Douglass's lectures on photography (a highlight of the volume); and the catalogue raisonné. Stauffer (English, African American studies, Harvard Univ.), Zoe Trodd (American literature, Univ. of Nottingham), and Celeste-Marie Bernier (African American studies, Univ. of Nottingham) point out that Douglass saw the truth-telling aspects of photography and how it could be used as a tool in the fight against slavery, as photos both humanized African Americans and revealed the horrors of their enslavement. VERDICT This tour de force is a must-have that will enhance history and reference collections. [See Prepub Alert, 4/20/15.]-Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A visual appreciation of "the most photographed American of the nineteenth century." No, that distinction does not go to Abraham Lincoln or even Mark Twain, but rather Frederick Douglass (1818-1895). In his excellent epilogue, Henry Louis Gates outlines Douglass' love of photography, and Douglass' great-great-great grandson Kenneth B. Morris Jr. provides the afterword. Stauffer (English, American Studies, African American Studies/Harvard Univ.; Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, 2008, etc.), Trodd (American Literature/Nottingham Univ.; A Reusable Past: Abolitionist Memory in the Long Civil Rights Movement, 2015, etc.), and Bernier (African American Studies/Univ. of Nottingham; Suffering and Sunset: World War I in the Art and Life of Horace Pippin, 2015, etc.) provide an impressive collection of pictures with short descriptions of when and where the photos were taken. There are also reproductions of three of Douglass' four speeches about photography, which give a wonderful picture of the man, his intellect, and his devotion to his main cause, abolition. Readers can feel the intensity of his love of photography and his powerful feelings about freedom. He felt that photographs were truthful images, despite the editing technology involved, and the strong effect of photos sent to the South contributed to secession. The photos of Douglass show a man as he evolved from first gaining his freedom in 1838. Most are head-and-shoulder shots, but his direct, defiant glare and his clenched fists indicate a relentlessly dedicated man who knew what he must accomplish. As his fame on the lecture circuit and his place as the foremost black leader of the 19th century grew, so the images show a dignified elder statesman who is still intense and wrathful. Also included are caricatures, sculptures, and political cartoons illustrating just how powerful the man had become. The authors have pieced together an illuminating life portrait without extraneous biographical material, focusing intensely on their subject's belief in the strength of photographs. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
