Sale 213 Lot 164

Ellen Craft, the Fugitive Slave, 19th century
Monochrome lithograph is a historical portrait of Ellen Craft, famously identified by the inscription below as "The Fugitive Slave." The image depicts her in the ingenious disguise she used to escape bondage in 1848: dressed as a sickly, wealthy white male planter. She is shown wearing a tall silk top hat, wire-rimmed spectacles, and a formal cravat, with her right arm held in a prominent white sling—a tactic she employed to avoid having to sign her name, as she was illiterate at the time. The portrait is rendered with fine detail, capturing a steady, resolute gaze that reflects the immense courage required for her four-day journey from Georgia to Philadelphia.
Sheet: 8.75 x 7.25 inches; image: 5.5 x 4 inches
$100-120