Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery Black Americans and the End of Slavery

"[A] gem: haunting, touching, troubling, inspiring, and informative." Publishers Weekly "Envisioning Emancipation offers an illuminating and inspiring look at the men and women who enabled, lived through, and were affected by the landmark event of emancipation. With a stunning collection of photographs accompanied by engaging new scholarship, this book is sure to have a vital and important impact on the way Americans see our nation and ourselves." Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum of Harlem "When Frederick Douglass observed that 'Negroes can never have impartial portraits at the hands of white artists,' he virtually predicted a century of derogation and invisibility for African Americans. Images of African Americans under slavery or even later during Reconstruction are notoriously rare, and there has never been a comprehensive survey of these always illuminating photographs. In Envisioning Emancipation, Deborah Willis and Barbara Krauthamer have painstakingly filled in many of the missing pieces, compiling an extraordinary photograph album of African American vernacular life that will be treasured as much for its historical insights as for its powerful aesthetic impact." Brian Wallis, Chief Curator, International Center of Photography "Envisioning Emancipation is a rare publication that is both intellectually innovative and emotionally enriching. Willis and Krauthamer have transformed the way scholars will look at abolitionism and the transition from enslavement to freedom by carefully recasting and reassessing black imagery to better understand and explore the intersection of race, gender, propaganda, and identity. The authors remind us that photography was a valuable and effective weapon in the struggle over the future of slavery in America, a weapon that was used, fought over, and manipulated by all involved." Lonnie Bunch, Founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture "[T]his is an important addition to the documentary study of African Americans from slavery into the 20th century and marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation." Library Journal, December 2012 "Groundbreaking... The book explores how blacks 'positioned themselves and were posed by others' in order to advance, question or alter prevailing ideas about race... Envisioning Emancipation recounts a dynamic history of black self-possession and self-determination, one that challenges the abiding myth of the crusade against slavery and segregation: that of passive black victims who obtained freedom mostly through the benevolence and generosity of their white saviors." - New York Times "This is a stunning book of recently discovered photographs of African Americans from the 19th century. This book challenges the predominant image of African Americans during this period as downtrodden and hopeless, and beautifully reveals rarely seen before photographs of African Americans before, during, and after the Civil War. The images range from studio shots of the black elite to daguerreotypes of newly emancipated slaves to photos of black Union soldiers. Cultural historians Deborah Willis and Barbara Krauthamer discovered some of these extraordinary images locked away in archives, and located others in private collections. The authors have also included informative historical narratives that accompany each image." - Huffington Post