1864 AFRICAN AMERICAN NEW ORLEANS SLAVE CHILDREN CDV PHOTO WITH AMERICAN FLAG For Sale

The Image pictures the charming and attractive, extremely light skinned New Orleans Slave Girl by the name of Rebecca Huger. She sits on a stool surrounded by a massive American Flag. Her hands are crossed on her chest and she stares lovingly up at the Flag.

This outstanding, original square corner, card mount CDV Photograph measures 2 1/2” by 4” (including the card mount) and has the back stamp of the photographer Charles Paxton of New York. There is also a 1864 copyright notice by S. Tackaberry printed on the reverse as well as a notice that reads: \"The nett(sic) proceeds from the sale of these Photographs will be devoted to the education of Colored People in the Department of the Gulf now under the command of Major General Banks.\".

Over the last 31+ years we have handled a dozen or more CDV Photographs of “Slave Children” (mostly from New Orleans and often including Charley, Rebecca and/or Rosa) that were sold to the public to support the efforts of those purporting to do charitable work among the freed slaves. However, we have never owned or even seen this particular Patriotic portrait of Rebecca surrounded by the American Flag and believe it to be quite rare.

By December of 1863, much of Louisiana was occupied by the Union army. Ninety-five schools serving over 9,500 students--including almost half of the black children in Louisiana--were running under its auspices (Clinton 58). But keeping these schools up and running would require ongoing financial support. Toward this end, the National Freedman\'s Association, in collaboration with the American Missionary Association and interested officers of the Union Army, launched a new propaganda campaign. Five children and three adults, all former slaves from New Orleans, were sent to the North on a publicity tour. A drawing of them was printed in the 30 January 1864 issue of the popular Harper\'s Weekly, bearing the intriguing caption: \"EMANCIPATED SLAVES, WHITE AND COLORED.\" The authors of this campaign were pursuing a surprising, and quite effective, strategy for arousing sympathy for blacks - they portrayed them as white.

The rare and fascinating Civil War Period ex-Slave Child CDV Photograph is in near mint condition. Both the Photograph and the Card Mount are clean and crisp and exceptionally well preserved. The Albumen photograph exhibits sharp focus, strong contrast and rich, warm tonality. The Photograph itself is without flaw and the Card Mount has bumped corners but is otherwise exceptionally well preserved.

A very rare and important, 1864 CDV Photograph of Rebecca Huger - a light skinned Slave Child of New Orleans and a fantastic addition to any collection!!!

The following short biography of the subject of this Photograph - the Slave Child Rebecca appeared in the January 30, 1864 edition of Harper\'s Weekly:

Rebecca Huger is eleven years old, and was a slave in her father\'s house, the special attendant of a girl a little older than herself. To all appearance she is perfectly white. Her complexion, hair, and features show not the slightest trace of negro blood. In the few months during which she has been at school she has learned to read well, and writes as neatly as most children of her age. Her mother and grandmother live in New Orleans, where they support themselves comfortably by their own labor. The grandmother, an intelligent mulatto, told Mr. Bacon that she ad \"raised\" a large family of children, but these are all that are left to her.

Overseasshippping is extra and cost will be quoted at buyers request. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax.

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Important Notes about Shipping Charges:

The amount quoted for Shipping & Handling is calculated by and is equal to the EXACT amount charged by the Post Office plus a $1.00 \"packing fee\" - the $1.00 fee is our only compensation for the virgin packing materials we use on all of our professionally packaged boxes as well as our cost for the salaried help that does most of our packing - as I am sure you can see, we make NO profit on the Shipping charges and, in fact, our costs are usually greater than the $1.00 fee. Please contact us if there are any issues regarding the cost of shipping.

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