(SLAVERY & ABOLITION.) Lafayette V. Newell, photographer. Photograph of a contraband family at Point

(SLAVERY & ABOLITION.) Lafayette V. Newell, photographer. Photograph of a contraband family at Point Lookout. Albumen photograph, 3½ x 2 inches, on original mount with photographer's backmark on verso; a touch of hand-coloring to the girl's scarf, captioned in manuscript on mount recto "Colord Family," a bit of foxing and minor wear. Point Lookout, MD, circa 1863-65 Lafayette V. Newell (1833-1914) was a New Hampshire photographer who during the Civil War established himself at the large Union military base in Point Lookout, Maryland (see above). Numerous African-American families, having escaped from slavery in nearby Virginia, streamed into Point Lookout (and other union camps), where they were declared free as "contraband of war." This photograph shows an older man with a cane dressed in rags, accompanied by two children--very likely contrabands who had made their way to Point Lookout.
We trace only one other example of this image at auction, at a Swann sale, 7 May 2020, lot 317 ($26,000 hammer). That example had the same Newell backmark as seen here, but with "Pt. Lookout, Md." removed from the stamp.