FRANK LESLIE'S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER: FAUSTIN I., EMPEROR OF HAYTI AND THE EMPERESS OF HAYTI PORTRAITSFebruary 12, 1859: Original issue of "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper." No. 167, Vol. VII, dated New York, Saturday, February 12, 1859, priced at 6 cents. The front page features a lead article titled "Faustin I., Emperor of Hayti," accompanied by two large wood-engraved portraits captioned "The Emperor Faustin I, of Hayti" and "The Empress of Hayti," both credited as being taken from daguerreotypes by the Meade Brothers, a prominent New York photography studio of the period. The engravings show Emperor Faustin I, born Faustin Soulouque, seated in an ornately carved chair and dressed in an elaborate military-style uniform with epaulettes and a decoration on his chest, and the Empress standing in formal court dress with a wide sash, jewelry, and long earrings. The accompanying article recounts Faustin's rise from a modest military position to the presidency of Haiti in 1849 and his subsequent self-coronation as emperor in 1855, and reports on the contemporary revolutionary uprising led by General Fabre Geffrard that would ultimately topple Faustin's rule later in 1859. Unframed. Sheet: 16 x 11 inches $150-200
