Harvard University has agreed to give up 19th-century photographs believed to be the earliest images of enslaved people to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. The photos show Tamara Lanier’s ancestors, including her great-great-great-grandfather Renty and his daughter Delia, who were enslaved in 1850 when the photos were taken.
A 15-Year Fight for Justice
This settlement ends a 15-year legal battle between Lanier and Harvard. Lanier claimed that the images—daguerreotypes taken without consent—belong to her family and should not be kept by Harvard.
While courts ruled Harvard legally owns the images, they allowed Lanier to seek emotional damages because of the painful history behind them. Harvard said it has long wanted to transfer the photos to a place where they can be shown with proper respect and context.
The History Behind the Photos
The images were made by Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz, who forced Renty and Delia to pose shirtless as part of racist studies supporting slavery. Agassiz sought “racially pure” enslaved Africans to photograph for his research.
Lanier’s lawsuit described the photographs as dehumanizing, taken without consent, and used for harmful “psychoscience” that justified racism.
A Historic Resolution
At the settlement event, Lanier stood alongside Susanna Moore, Agassiz’s descendant. Both celebrated the return of the photos to South Carolina, where Renty and Delia lived.
Lanier called the moment a victory for reparations and restoring dignity to her ancestors. Moore acknowledged the racist history behind the images and the importance of changing how such objects are treated in museums.
What Happens Next
The International African American Museum will house the photos and work with Lanier on how to tell the stories behind them.
The settlement included a financial agreement, though Harvard has not publicly confirmed Lanier’s family connection or fully acknowledged its past role in slavery.
Lanier’s attorney praised her determination and emphasized that while Harvard is not perfect, this outcome represents important progress.
