Freedom, 8 Cents at a Time - the Story of Moses Williams

Today there is no shortage of ways to capture someone’s likeness. Before photography, however, your options were largely limited to having your portrait painted-an expense that few could afford-or silhouettes. These shadow-like images created from projections and paper were affordable, reproducible, and popular. Wildly popular, in fact. Even Thomas Jefferson joined the silhouette craze and had several on display at Monticello.
Hoping to cash in on this trend, renowned portrait painter Charles Willson Peale purchased a device to simplify silhouette production. Yet it was perhaps his young enslaved servant Moses Williams who learned to operate this new device that profited the most. Williams received a small cut from each silhouette sold, which he saved and used to buy his own freedom and later a home.
Learn more about Moses Williams and silhouettes in this latest episode of Monticello’s podcast series, “In the Course of Human Events.”