Saturday, March 17, 2018

Berne, Emma Carlson. Face of Freedom: How the Photos of Frederick Douglass ...

Berne, Emma Carlson. Face of Freedom: How the Photos of Frederick Douglass ...    Capstone Publishers  2018  64p  $34.65    ISBN 978-0-7565-5617-4    ms   Nonfiction  Series: Captured History  E-BNS 

This is an excellent book for middle-school kids and older ones who are interested in the history of photography and the ways in which photography brings history alive. In the case of Frederick Douglass, one learns that he was the most photographed American of the 19th century ... more photographed than even President Lincoln! Douglass himself understood the important role that photography played in conveying the dignity and humanity of a person. Prior to the development of this technology, African Americans were only depicted in a caricatured fashion, in degrading cartoons and drawings. But with the advent of photography, a person’s full humanity could be easily conveyed in one picture. Douglass made sure that all his photographs were done to portray his dignity and intelligence, and he was very much aware of the role that they played in conveying his message of Black equality.

In addition to providing food for thought about the role of photography in the fight for abolition and equality, this title also teaches the reader a lot about the life and times of Douglass, and his strong personality and ambition as a leader.

The book is fairly easy to read but is appropriate for kids in grades 4 through high school, with wonderful photographs and plenty of white space, which is attractive to the eye. It includes a timeline, a good glossary, lists of additional resources, and an index.   Recommended for public collections and those serving kids from fourth grade through high school.

Summary: This is an excellent book for middle-school kids and older ones who are interested in the history of photography and the ways in which photography brings history alive. 


Slaves-Biography                                    --Carol L. Kennedy

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