Harvard Returns Historic Enslaved Photographs to South Carolina Museum

In a milestone settlement, Harvard University has agreed to transfer historic photographs of enslaved individuals to the International African American Museum in South Carolina. These 175-year-old daguerreotypes, considered the earliest images of enslaved people, will find a new home after a prolonged legal battle initiated by descendant Tamara Lanier.

The resolution follows years of litigation by Lanier, who identified the subjects as her ancestors, Renty and his daughter Delia. Accusations of Harvard's exploitation of the images, originally commissioned by Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz, were central to the suit, which also challenged the institution's past profiteering from the daguerreotypes.

This agreement not only returns the images to the state where the subjects were enslaved but also sets a precedent for acknowledging and rectifying historical wrongdoings. While Harvard reached an undisclosed financial settlement and relinquished the photographs, it has yet to publicly acknowledge its connection to slavery, leaving some questions unanswered.

(With inputs from agencies.)