Societal and individualized racism faced couples, even well after legal bans were struck down.
Daguerreotypewas an early photographic process that became very common in the 1840s.
These were singular images, rather than negatives.
The historic daguerreotype. (Photo:Freeman’s | Hindman)
They were printed by chemicals on a plate of varying size.
They were often framed in delicate leather cases.
This is smaller than average; however, it is enshrined in a decorative tool statement frame and case.
The image depicts a white woman and Black man, both dressed in dark clothing of the period.
The gentleman holds the woman’s hand and leans in to graze his cheek and lips against hers.
We believe the purpose of the image was likely political, though this is far from certain.
The two people within remain unknown, despite researchers checking their likeness against images of known abolitionists and freedmen.
A romantic pose such as in this image directly combats racist tropes that denigrated the emotions of Black people.
The unique image seems to be the first extant of its kind.
Their names are almost certainly the key to placing the image into wider social and historical context.
