Emancipated Slaves, White and Colored
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift in honor of Ann M. Shumard
Accession Number
NPG.2022.122
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
When this engraving (based on the nearby photograph by Myron H. Kimball) was featured in the January 30, 1863, issue of Harper’s Weekly, the caption noted, “THE CHILDREN ARE FROM THE SCHOOLS ESTABLISHED IN NEW ORLEANS, BY ORDER OF MAJOR-GENERAL BANKS.” An accompanying letter to the editor provided brief, evocative biographies for each of the individuals depicted. Included in these texts was the fact that Wilson Chinn had been branded on the forehead with the letters “V.B.M.”—the initials of his ...