Frederick Douglass was the most photographed American of the 19th Century. In addition to photographic portraits, his likeness appears in print processes large and small, from broadsides and political cartoons, to frontispieces and ephemera. Here is a sampling of some of our favorite Douglass portraits from our collection.
“Am I Not a Woman and a Sister” – Anti-Slavery Medallion, 1838
A common token in anti-slavery circles, abolitionist women distributed and sold these medals at anti-slavery fairs, using the proceeds to fund their cause. This particular medal, minted in New Jersey in 1838, reads “Am I Not a Woman and a Sister” and depicts an enslaved woman kneeling in chains. The slogan, made popular by Philadelphia abolitionist Elizabeth Margaret Chandler, would come to define the abolitionist movement, particularly in female anti-slavery societies. In this version, the “N” in United States is reversed, a tactic engravers used to avoid counterfeiting.
Anti-slavery Token.
New Jersey,
1838.
Brass ; 1 3/16 inches (diameter).