Curtis, George William. (1824-1892)
Original CDV Photograph
An original carte de visite photograph of the American writer and orator who spoke in favor of African American equality and civil rights. Photographed by Warren's of Boston and on the original mount, with the lower edge slightly trimmed. Some light spots; otherwise in fine condition. 2.5 x 4 inches (6.3 x 10.1 cm).An abolitionist and supporter of civil rights for African Americans and Native Americans, Curtis also advocated women’s suffrage, civil service reform, and public education. A founding Member of the Unitarian Church of Staten Island, originally, the Unitarian Church of the Redeemer, he married Anna Shaw Curtis there in 1856. The Underground Railroad was in use during this time to help runaway slaves, and it is believed that the Curtises and the Shaws were very involved in this effort. The Curtis and Shaw families, rooted as they were in the liberal soil of New England, counted among their close associates Emerson, Hawthorne and Thoreau. In 1863 he became the political editor of Harper's Weekly, which was highly influential in shaping public opinion. In 1871 he was appointed, by President Ulysses S. Grant, to chair the commission on the reform of the civil service and was one of the original members of the Board of Education for what would become New York City. (13547)
Unsigned Photograph Literature