Sketches of the Amistad captives.

[ca. 1839-1840].

22 drawings (in 2 boxes and 1 portfolio) : pencil ; 18.3 x 14 cm. and smaller.

Gift of Mrs. Asa G. Dickerman, 1934.

Restricted material. May not be seen without the permission of the appropriate curator.

The Amistad captives, Africans who were enslaved despite the abolishment of slavery throughout the Spanish dominions in 1820, revolted from their Cuban masters on board ship and ended up off the northern shore of Long Island in 1839. The captives were jailed in New Haven pending their trial to determine whether they were property. The case eventually came before the Supreme Court.

Head and shoulders portraits, some in profile. Amistad captives depicted are captioned: Grabo, Little Kale, Fargina, Sar, Bungair, Bana, Bar, Farquanar, Kimbo, Kezzuza, Fuli (a younger man), Suma, Fuli (an older man), Boro, Malhue, Saby, Marqu, Pona (profile and front view), Yuang, and two unidentified men. Accompanied by a pamphlet by J. E. Twitchell on the Amistad captives, cataloged separately.

Negatives available from Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

English

June 01, 2002

William H. Townsend, Sketches of the Amistad Captives. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

William H. Townsend, Sketches of the Amistad Captives. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Drawings (visual works)