John Brown's Famous Photograph
An 1840s image captures an extremist's fervor
- By Owen Edwards
- Smithsonian.com, September 21, 2009, Subscribe
Perhaps more than any other American historical figure, the militant abolitionist John Brown embodies the idea that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. Brown’s zeal at the Pottawatomie Massacre, where five pro-slavery Kansans were taken from their homes and murdered, and his botched raid on the arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, beginning October 16, 1859, made him a pariah in the South and helped precipitate the secessionist movement that led to the Civil War. But in non-slave states, his execution on December 2, 1859, was marked by the tolling of church bells and martyrdom within the abolitionist movement. In a well-known painting completed circa 1884, many years after the Civil War, my great-great-uncle, Philadelphia artist Thomas Hovenden, depicted Brown as a secular saint on his way to the gallows.
Given Brown’s passionate opposition to slavery, it’s not surprising that his first photographic likeness was created by an African-American portraitist, Augustus Washington. The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery purchased the daguerreotype at auction in 1996. Ann Shumard, NPG curator of photographs, describes it as “one of the treasures of the collection in all media. To have Brown daguerreotyped by an African-American is extraordinary.”
The portrait, taken in Washington’s Hartford, Connecticut, studio in 1846 or 1847, exudes an intensity consistent with the subject’s fanaticism. He appears very much as one might expect—angry and determined. In the image, Brown raises his right hand, as if taking an oath; in the other hand, he holds a banner thought to be the flag of the Subterranean Pass-Way, his militant alternative to the Underground Railroad.
According to Shumard, who also curated a 1999 exhibition of Washington’s work, the photographer made at least three images of Brown that day in Hartford. One, owned by Brown’s descendants until 2007, offers a glimpse of the abolitionist in a somewhat less intimidating stance—gazing contemplatively into the camera; it was acquired two years ago by the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Another, which remains lost, is described as a picture of Brown with his young African-American assistant, Thomas Thomas. The dauntingly fierce NPG portrait, Shumard says, “was meant to serve as a symbol of Brown’s determination to abolish slavery.” As is often the case with photography, all is not what it seems. Daguerreotypes are mirror images, so to achieve his effect, Washington would have positioned Brown with his left hand raised and his right hand holding the banner.
There’s no record that the picture was ever published, says Shumard, until 1921, more than 70 years after it was made, by the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society. “At the time Brown sat for Washington,” she says, “he was not by any means a public figure—he was a wool broker. There wouldn’t have been any reason to publish it, even by the standard means of an artist’s representation. The picture, so significant now, was really intended as a personal testament to Brown’s commitment to his cause.”
The daguerreotype process, the first photographic process to be commercially successful, was introduced by French artist Louis Daguerre in 1839 and by the time of the Brown portrait required only a few seconds to produce an image. A mirror-polished, silver-coated plate was made sensitive to light by exposure to iodine vapors, and the images were developed using mercury vapor (which posed a major, albeit unknown, health risk for those who made them).
The process yielded extremely fragile images that could easily be destroyed if mishandled or improperly cleaned; they also tarnished if exposed to air for an extended period. Properly sealed, however, they can last almost indefinitely. “We’re lucky that the John Brown portrait is still in its original case,” Shumard says, “and looks much as it did when it was first made.”
Augustus Washington was born in 1820 or 1821 in Trenton, New Jersey, the son of a former slave. He attended Dartmouth College, and he learned to make daguerreotypes to earn money for his tuition. For financial reasons, he dropped out of school and a few years later established a portrait studio in Hartford. According to Shumard, several African-American portraitists were working at the time. “The technique was new and photographic portraits were much in demand,” she says, “so there was a chance for African-Americans in the North to get into the business.”
Although Washington met with success in Hartford, he grew pessimistic about the future for African-Americans in the United States and, in 1853, emigrated to Liberia. There he made portraits of American émigrés and government dignitaries. Once the daguerreotype was eclipsed by newer technologies, Washington gave up photography and served in the Liberian Senate. He died in Monrovia in 1875, sixteen years after his most polarizing subject.
Owen Edwards is a freelance writer and author of the book Elegant Solutions.
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Comments (8)
Lake Placid is commemorating the life and legacy of John Brown December 4th and 8th, 2009 - 150 years after his trail, hanging, cortege back to Lake Placid (North Elba) and burial.
A Symposium will be held to examine the life and actions of John Brown, and those who believed in and joined his efforts, as well as recognize the ramifications that still influence us to this day.
More information can be found about the event at :
http://www.johnbrowncominghome.com/John_Brown_Coming_Home.html
Posted by Carol Joannette on October 27,2009 | 02:36 PM
-Nice read. The corrections and comments also sparked interest and enjoyment. Thanks!
Posted by Les Bryant on October 16,2009 | 11:36 AM
Thanks for the corrections,,Your book was great ,Thankjs My grandfather was killed in 1943 at Republic Mine ,Mining Aluminuim for the war and his dad died 3 months later, My grandmother had told me years ago about the Plantations,, Thats all i knew after seeing 60 min and you book ,I went to Warren Ar to visit with my relatives ,Very cool the original land bought After the Loisiana Purchase ,is still in my familys hands,, The old homestead is list under Warren Arkansas site,, I got my info on that one of the Hairstons went with or met JEB at Harpers Ferry ,Cavalryman of the lost cause,,Jeffry D. Wert,,love history and have really enjoyed your books,,I just dont understand why George Hairston isnt brought up more ,,He did alot He was on Andrew Jackson ticket of electors, and his service was at Norfolk should be wrote about ,Do you have his order books? ive tried to get them there suppose to be digializing,, Thank you for all your work Eric Hairston
Posted by Eric Hairston on October 10,2009 | 03:29 PM
JEB Stuart's brother-in-law was Peter Wilson Hairston, the owner of Cooleemee Plantation in NC. He was the son of Samuel Hairston, who lived at Oak Hill outside of Danville, VA. PWH's wife was Columbia Lafayette Stuart. In his lifetime PWH owned in the aggregate about 1500 slaves. According to a Hairston family story, Stuart gave PWH the knife that John Brown carried at Harpers Ferry; but even if the story is true, the knife vanished long ago. PWH was not present at Harpers Ferry; he did, however, serve as a volunteer aide during the Civil War under JEB Stuart and later under his cousin Jubal Early, whose mother was a Hairston.
Posted by Henry Wiencek on October 6,2009 | 12:41 PM
I cant believe Smithsonian ,didn't say that JEB Stuart Brought his cousin and Brother in law, with Him ,,Samuel Hairston just happen to be married to Jeb older sister,and they owned nearly 1800 slaves,Jeb gave John Browns Knife to him, The largest slave owner wore John Browns knife during the Civil War, but it didnt help just history, Smithsonian will ever tell these stories,, General GEORGE HAIRSTON was in command of the militia when Britain tried to invade Norfolk ,,They repulsed the British in 1814 and The British went to DC and burned our capital ,Maybe George should have been there,,, University of NC has the records at Southern Historical site
Posted by ERIC HAIRSTON on October 4,2009 | 12:12 AM
It does convey what an insane monster he was quite well.
He has the bloodthirsty look of a serial killer.
Posted by Mike on October 2,2009 | 08:28 PM
Hello, nice article. I have a historical photographs exhibition of John Brown that places the other Washington daguerreotype (briefly mentioned) as first.
Reasons: the forensic anthropologist who studied the images (published in The Daguerreian Annual 2002-2003) stated that the two extant daguerreotypes were taken "within days of each other but not at the same time."
The meeting of John Brown with the photographer and Frederick Douglass (who took the name of Augustus Washington in his honor) occurred on Feb. 1, 1848.
Therefore, which came first? I suggest that the plain portrait one (now at the Nelson-Atkins Museum) was made. The photographer and John Brown (also probably Douglass) liked it so much they made the second one within a few days. It was clearly made for promotion for the cause of abolition. As you note, his left hand is raised to appear as an oath in the mirror image.
Please come see the exhibit at the National Archives at Philadelphia beginning in October, or at the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park.
Thank you and best regards,
Jean Libby
Posted by Jean Libby on September 24,2009 | 02:44 AM
Fascinating, Mr. Edwards. Thank you.
Posted by Cleve Gray on September 21,2009 | 03:44 PM