The railway that carried escaped slaves to freedom

Sporting a distinctive hairstyle and beard that the cataloguer suggested “…would never again be replicated until early 21st-century Brooklyn”, the photograph below was part of a slavery and abolition-themed lot sold for $80,000 (£64,725) in an Americana sale held in New York by Swann (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) on September 25.

A principal focus among Shugart family papers was an account book kept by the sitter, Zachariah Ta…

Enjoy unlimited access: just £1 for 12 weeks

Subscribe now