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Primary sourcePhotographNovember 1949

Eleanor Roosevelt Holding Poster of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

November 1949

A 1949 photograph of Eleanor Roosevelt displaying the English-language poster of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This photograph shows Eleanor Roosevelt presenting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights she helped draft.

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Black-and-white photograph of an older woman with short wavy hair, wearing a dark dress and a pearl necklace, holding up a large poster titled 'The Universal Declaration of Human Rights' with the UN emblem. The poster's text is in columns, and a dark curtain is behind her.
Eleanor Roosevelt holding poster of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Lake Success, New York, November 1949.

About this source

What it is

This photograph, taken in November 1949 at Lake Success, New York, shows Eleanor Roosevelt holding up a large poster of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English.

Why it matters

The image visually links Roosevelt to the human rights document she helped bring into being as chair of the UN drafting committee. It has become one of the most recognizable images connecting her to her work at the United Nations.

Look closer

  • What does her posture and expression suggest about how she wanted this document presented to the public?
  • Why might a photograph like this have been taken and distributed widely?
  • What does the setting tell you about where and when this moment took place?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Eleanor Roosevelt on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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