Mysterious Young Harriet Tubman Photo Discovered in Forgotten Abolitionist’s Album Sparks New Historical Revelations
Tubman’s rediscovered portrait is one of 49 photographs that appear in a worn photo album that belonged to Emily Howland who was also an abolitionist. Howland was heavily active in education and the women’s suffrage movement and taught freed slaves to read at Camp Todd, located on the Arlington estate of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. She also taught African-American girls at a free school and eventually went on to launch her own school for freed slaves.
Howland’s involvement in social justice at the time may explain the rest of the contents in the photo album, which was a gift she had received from a friend. In addition to Tubman’s photograph, the photo book also contains portraits of other public figures in American politics.
Another incredible discovery from Howland’s photo album is a portrait of John Willis Menard, the first African-American man elected to the U.S. Congress. In the yellowed image, Menard projects an air of sophistication with perfectly coiffed curls on the side of his head and a well-groomed mustache. It is the only known photograph of Menard to still exist.
Library of CongressThe only known photograph of John Willis Menard, the first African-American elected to U.S. Congress.
“When we came across the picture of John Menard I was stunned…[Menard’s] opponent challenges the election, and so there was this debate about whether or not he should be seated in the House,” Bunch said.
“There is this amazing image of him speaking before the House of Representatives…But they decided that neither he nor his opponent should be in the House, so they basically kept the seat vacant. So, while he was the first elected he didn’t actually become a member of the House of Representatives.”
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