19th Century Writer Who Understood the Power of Images: Frederick Douglass

Likely the most photographed person in the United States of his time, Douglass predicted the rise of visual mediums

Unidentified photographer. Portrait of Douglass, c. 1856. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired through the generosity of an anonymous donor

Frederick Douglass (c.1818–1895) surprised many people who came to hear him speak at the Tremont Temple Baptist Church in Boston.