Harvard University has agreed to turn over historical photographs of slaves, ending a longstanding legal fight with a Connecticut woman who claims to be a descendent of the individuals depicted in the images. Tamara Lanier has been pursuing the right to reclaim the 1850 daguerreotypes of her alleged great-great-great-grandfather Renty Taylor and his daughter Delia. CBS Boston reports that the settlement includes a "confidential monetary settlement."
Lanier's legal tussle with Harvard began in 2019 when she sued the university for ownership of the daguerreotypes, but her claims were initially rebuffed by the courts, which ruled that the images were the property of the photographer, not the subjects. However, in an interesting turn of events, Massachusetts' highest court ruled last year that Lanier could sue Harvard for emotional distress, as The Boston Globe noted. This litigation has finally concluded with the photos set to be moved to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, where they were originally taken.
The photos, commissioned by Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz to promote the theory of racial superiority, have sparked broader discussions about Harvard's historical ties to slavery and the ethical implications of profiting from such imagery. Lanier told CBS Boston, "Harvard played a role in the darkest chapter in American history. This is a small step in the right direction towards fully acknowledging that history and working to rectify it."
Harvard, for its part, seems ready to see these images take on a new life in an institutional context that respects their significance. The university spokesperson, James Chisholm, elaborated in a statement that Harvard has "long been eager to place a Zealy Daguerreotypes with another museum or other public institution to put them in the appropriate context and increase access to them for all Americans." The statement obtained by CBS Boston also expressed a degree of skepticism regarding Lanier's claimed lineage, noting difficulty in confirming her relation to the individuals in the photographs.
Amidst this resolution, the International African American Museum prepares to narrate the unvarnished stories of the African American experience, with Renty Taylor and Delia set to be focal points of this narrative. Their images will offer present and future generations a tangible link to America's past and the individuals who endured it, a statement by Lanier's attorneys emphasized to The Boston Globe. Scheduled to be transferred to the museum for permanent exhibit, these images will serve as a poignant reminder of a painful chapter in American history, now to be shared in an environment dedicated to education and remembrance.
