"Ellis, Field hand"

inscription:

Recto, lower left, graphite: "Ellis/ Field hand"

description:

Full length drawing of young African American man with his hands in his pockets. He wears a hat, buttoned overcoat, button down shirt, trousers, and shoes.

significance note:

Sketchbook includes some thirty extremely rare images of black Americans prior to the Civil War. George Fuller travelled to Alabama in 1856 and again in 1857-1858.

references:

Sketchbook was exhibited at Birmingham (Alabama) Museum of Art, 1995.

provenance:

These works of art descended in George Fuller's family and are from the family homestead at the Bars.

signature:

Sketchbook frontispiece, "G. Fuller/ Mobile Ala/ Feb 4/ 56"

keywords:

African American
Art
Clothing, Fashion, Costume