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Frederick Douglass is perhaps best known as an abolitionist and intellectual. But he was also the . And he encouraged the use of photography to .

In that spirit, this article鈥攗sing images from the David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography at the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan鈥攅xamines different ways Black Americans from the 19th century used photography as a tool for self-empowerment and social change. 

Black Studio Portraits

Speaking about how accessible photography had become during his time, Douglass once : 鈥淲hat was once the special and exclusive luxury of the rich and great is now the privilege of all. The humblest servant girl may now possess a picture of herself such as the wealth of kings could not purchase fifty years ago.鈥� 

To pose for a photograph became . It served as a way to counteract  that distorted facial features and mocked Black society. African Americans in urban and rural settings participated in photography to demonstrate dignity in the Black experience.

The first successful form of photography was the , an image printed on polished silver-plated copper. The invention of  photographs, followed by , changed the culture of photography because the process allowed photographers to print images on paper. Cartes de visite are portraits the size of a business card with several copies . The change from printing images on metal to printing on paper made them , and anyone could commission a portrait.

Collecting Kinship: Arabella Chapman Albums

During Victorian times, it was  with loved ones and collect them from visitors.
, an African American music teacher from Albany, New York, assembled two cartes de visite photo albums. The first was a private album of family pictures, while the other featured friends and political figures for public viewing. The creation of each book allowed Chapman to store and share her photographs as intimate keepsakes. 

Innovative Entrepreneurs: The Goodridge Brothers

When photography became a viable business, African Americans started their own photography studios in different locations across the country.  established one of the earliest Black photography studios in 1847. The business, opened first in York, Pennsylvania, moved to Saginaw, Michigan in 1863.

The brothers鈥擥lenalvin, Wallace, and William鈥攚ere known for producing studio portraits using a variety of . They also produced documentary photography printed on  to create 3D images. 

Saginaw, Michigan, was an expanding settlement, and the brothers photographed new buildings in the town. They also documented natural disasters in the area. Photographers would capture 3D images of fires, floods, and other destructive occurrences to record the impact of the event before the town rebuilt the area. 

Documenting Communities: Harvey C. Jackson

The development of Black photography studios allowed communities greater control to style images that authentically reflected Black life.  established Detroit鈥檚 first Black-owned photography studio in 1915. He collaborated with communities to create cinematic scenes of important events. In one photo, Jackson documents a mortgage-burning celebration at the , established in 1897. Its mission was to improve the status of Black women and the elderly by providing lodging and services.

 are a tradition churches observe to commemorate their last mortgage payment. Harvey Jackson documented this occasion with each person holding a string attached to the mortgage to connect each person in burning the document.

African Americans鈥� engagement with photography in the 19th century began a tradition for Black photographers鈥� use of photography today to promote social change. African Americans, whether they are in front or behind the camera, create empowering images that define the beauty and resilience contained within the Black experience.

This article was originally published by . It has been published here with permission.