William Lloyd Garrison cabinet card portrait by Gutekunst

What it is

This is a sepia cabinet card portrait of William Lloyd Garrison. The printed mount reads 'F. Gutekunst, Philadelphia'. It shows an elderly bald man with wire-rimmed glasses, a white collar, a bow tie and a dark suit jacket, seated against a plain backdrop. The photograph was made by Frederick Gutekunst. The facts available do not give a date for the portrait.

Why it matters

Photographic portraits like this were sold and collected, so a famous face could reach many homes. The curator's note connects this Philadelphia portrait to Garrison's later years, when he had become a national figure after the war. Studying the picture helps students see how a reformer's public image was shaped through photography as well as through his writing and speeches.

Look closer

• What do the pose, clothing and plain backdrop suggest about how Garrison wanted to be seen?
• Why might a photographer's name and city be printed on the mount?
• What can a single portrait not tell us about Garrison's work against slavery?