Sojourner Truth

Date1864

MediumAlbumen carte-de-visite

DimensionsImage and sheet: 3 5/16 × 2 3/16 inches (8.41 × 5.56 cm)
Mount: 3 15/16 × 2 3/8 inches (10 × 6.03 cm)

Credit LineGift of the Hall Family Foundation

Object number2007.17.35

Signednone

InscribedOn mount recto, bottom, printed in black ink: "I SELL THE SHADOW TO SUPPORT THE / SUBSTANCE. / SOJOURNER TRUTH."; On mount verso, center, printed in black ink: "Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by SOJOURNER TRUTH, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court, for the Eastern District of Michigan."; On mount verso, bottom, in period hand, in black pen: "Dec 9, 1867 / This was taken three / years ago in 1864.".

Markingsnone

On View

Not on view

Collections

Photography

Terms

DescriptionPortrait of a woman with glasses, Sojourner Truth, wearing a long-sleeved top with a full skirt, white shawl, and head scarf. She is holding a cane in one hand and a tapestry bag on the arm of the other.Exhibition History

Exhibition History

In the Public Eye: Photography and Fame. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, March 8 - June 15, 2008, no cat.

Gallery Label

Sojourner Truth escaped slavery and became an abolitionist, prison reformer, and early advocate for women’s rights. She supported herself in part by selling copies of her image, affixed to a small card and stamped with her signature slogan: “I sell the shadow to support the substance.” This format, known as the carte-de-visite, was affordable, portable, and easily collectable. Aware of the importance of owning her own image, Sojourner Truth registered her portraits for copyright, including this image in 1864.

Provenance

Hall Family Foundation, Kansas City, MO, 2007;
Given by the Hall Family Foundation to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2007.

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