Susie King Taylor was an activist, educator and volunteer nurse on the Union side in the Civil War. She documented her experiences in her memoir Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33rd United States Colored Troops, late 1st S.C. Volunteers. After the Civil War, she opened several schools in Georgia for formerly enslaved people. This daguerreotype had been lost to history until it was discovered by collector Stephen Restelli. We see Taylor in a military inspired bodice and petticoated gingham gown, looking directly at the photographer with a confident gaze.
from Fashioning the Self in Slavery and Freedom.....explores the politics of fashion among people of African descent during slavery. FaceBook
