Born into slavery as Frederick Douglass in 1818, this renowned lecturer and author would become one of the greatest public speakers of his time. After escaping slavery in 1838, Douglass joined the abolitionist movement. As a paid traveling lecturer, people everywhere laid their eyes on a freed, well-spoken black man.
Douglass was a visionary well before his time. Ensuring his photo was taken everywhere he went, he hoped to utilize his imagery to humanize black people — enslaved and free — at home and abroad. He is now known as the most-photographed person of the 19th Century.