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DOUGLASS, FREDERICK. Sixth-plate daguerreotype portrait of Frederick Douglass; with remnants of the original seal and an additional vintage seal; in a later (1850s) mat, preserver and leather case, separated at the hinge. DOUGLASS' CLIPPED SIGNATURE IS ATTACHED TO THE RED VELVET LINING. late 1840s (WITH DOUGLASS' CLIPPED SIGNATURE) AN UNPUBLISHED PORTRAIT OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS "(1817-1895), the most influential African-American leader of the 19th century. The son of a slave woman and her white master in Maryland, Douglass escaped from slavery at age 20. His gift for public speaking was recognized by the celebrated abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, who incorporated Douglass into his anti-slavery organization. With Garrison, Douglass toured the country and thrilled audiences with his brilliant oration, becoming a living symbol of the anti-slavery movement for both whites and blacks." Independently, Douglas achieved international fame as an orator and writer of great persuasive power. Having lived the first twenty years of his life in slavery, his own history was a source of hope for the African-Americans whose cause he championed. Douglass wrote of photography, "Negroes can never have impartial portraits at the hands of white artists. It seems to us next to impossible for white men to take likenesses of black men, without most grossly exaggerating their distinctive features" (Facing the Light, p. 273). Nonetheless, this anonymous portrait, which was taken near the start of his career as an orator, reveals to the viewer a keen, quick, intelligent countenance. [SEE ILLUSTRATION].