African Americana

7 1/4 x 4 3/8 in. boudoir photograph on cardstock mount showing four young African American men, possibly formerly enslaved, seated among boxes on the porch of an unknown establishment (toning, some spotting to image and mount; corner and edge wear to mount, including some loss). Verso with photographer's imprint and manuscript title.

Although Virginia joined the Confederacy, Fortress Monroe, located in Hampton, VA, remained in Union hands throughout the Civil War. Under the provision of contraband policies, Fort Monroe gained notoriety as a historic site of freedom for the formerly enslaved. The photographer, William Baulch produced this image as part of a larger series of photographs capturing the fort and its surroundings.

Baulch also owned and operated a store in Fort Monroe called the "Newspaper Depot," and presumably, this is where he sold the photographs throughout the 1880s.