Booker T. Washington to Charles W. Chesnutt, 14 November 1905
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Nov. 14, 1905.
Mr. Chas. W. Chesnutt,
1005 Williamson Bldg., Cleveland, O.
My dear Mr. Chesnutt:-
You do not know how much I appreciate your kindness in sending me the photograph of Abraham Lincoln.1 It is a very fine picture and one that I value very much. I am indeed very glad to have it.
Yours truly, H. Booker T. WashingtonCorrespondent: Booker T. Washington (1856–1913), one of the most well-known Black activists of the early 20th century, was born into slavery in Virginia. In 1881, he became the president of what would become the Tuskegee Institute, advocating widely as a speaker and writer for technical education for Blacks, whose entry into American industry and business leadership he believed to be the road to equality. His political power was significant, but because he frequently argued for compromise with White Southerners, including on voting rights, he was also criticized by other Black activists, especially by W. E. B. Du Bois.
1. While there are many different photographic representations of President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), it is very likely that the photograph in question is the profile of a beardless Lincoln taken by Alexander Hesler in June of 1860 that can be seen in a 1905 photograph of Chesnutt in his study in his house at 9719 Lamont Ave. [back]