The lawsuit says the images are the “spoils of theft,” because as slaves Renty and Delia were unable to give consent. And it argues that by holding on to the images, Harvard has perpetuated the hallmarks of slavery that prevented African-Americans from holding, conveying or inheriting personal property. Renty and Delia were among seven slaves who appeared in 15 images made using the daguerreotype process, an early form of photography imprinted on silvered copper plates. The daguerreotypes were commissioned by Louis Agassiz, a Swiss-born zoologist and Harvard professor who is sometimes called the father of American natural science. Agassiz viewed the slaves as anatomical specimens to document his beliefs, according to historical sources.

Source: New York Times March 20, 2019 14:26 UTC