Introducing the Harriet Hayden Albums

Lecture: Introducing the Harriet Hayden Albums: A Social History of Photography, Agency & Identity in Late 19th Century Boston
with Theo Tyson
Join Theo Tyson, Polly Thayer Starr Fellow in American Art and Culture as she shares her insights and inquiries on a set of nineteenth-century photo albums that belonged to Harriet Bell Hayden (1816-1893), a survivor of slavery and anti-slavery activist. Married to famed abolitionist Lewis Hayden (1811-1889), Mrs. Hayden’s albums are a unique opportunity to explore the racial, social, and cultural history of Boston’s thriving Beacon Hill anti-slavery community. Tyson will discuss the types of visual and material culture needed to create and sustain archival collections. She will address how institutions can accurately share the histories of African Americans, formerly enslaved Black people, and especially Black women.