Feb 25, 2010 - Sale 2204

Sale 2204 - Lot 34

Price Realized: $ 2,160
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 2,000 - $ 3,000
(SLAVERY AND ABOLITION--DOUGLASS, FREDERICK.) BATTEY, CORNELIUS. Silver print portrait. Image 9x7 inches printed on 12x10 sheet with Battey's stamp "copyrighted C.M. Battey" in the negative lower right. [Washington, D.C., circa 1894-1895]

Additional Details

A fine portrait of Frederick Douglass, probably taken in 1894 and no doubt one of the last images of the great orator. From 1871 to 1891 Douglass had held a number of government positions. During this time he had distanced himself from the black community, but, inspired by Ida B. Wells, a leader in the anti-lynching crusade, he reemerged in 1894 to give what was called his last great speech, "The Lesson of the Hour." The speech was delivered at Washington's Metropolitan A.M. E. Church, on January 9, 1894. Douglass died at the age of 77 on February 20, 1895. See lots 349-354 for additional photographs by Cornelius Battey.