Papa Renty was among the first photographed and name-identified enslaved people

Evidence

But Rich’s discovery revealed something new and profound: Papa Renty was one of the first enslaved people to ever be photographed and identified by name and place of birth. This was both overwhelming and emotional for me—it was also historic. This was my bloodline, I thought, and it was ensnared in something both good and bad. How fortunate was I to have a tangible piece of my African ancestry. But this was also my origin story—an image of my enslaved ancestor, depicted in the most objectified and vulnerable way, used as a tool to justify an illegitimate scientific experiment. I was conflicted and torn. I could not wait to reach out to the Peabody Museum, where the images were held, and to Harvard University! — Tamara Lanier, From These Roots, 186

Categorization

• QUESTION: The photograph itself — of Renty and Delia by Agassiz in 1850 — will become the doctrinal core of the lawsuit against Harvard. Worth pinning down the exact provenance chain later.