Booker T. Washington to Charles W. Chesnutt, 14 November 1905
| Textual Feature | Appearance |
|---|---|
| alterations to base text (additions or deletions) | added or deleted text |
| passage deleted with a strikethrough mark | |
| passage deleted by overwritten added text | Deleted text Added text |
| position of added text (if not added inline) | [right margin] text added in right margin; [above line] text added above the line |
| proofreading mark | ‸ |
| page number, repeated letterhead, etc. | page number or repeated letterhead |
| supplied text | [supplied text] |
| archivist note | archivist note |
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]
