Harvard Transfers Slave Daguerreotypes to Museum

Harvard University has agreed to transfer ownership of 15 daguerreotypes, believed to be the earliest surviving photographs of enslaved African Americans, to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. The settlement resolves a lengthy legal dispute initiated by Tamara Lanier, who identified two subjects, Renty and his daughter Delia, as her ancestors and argued the images were taken without consent to promote racist scientific theories. Harvard has not officially confirmed Lanier's genealogical claims but reached an undisclosed financial settlement and acknowledged the need for appropriate historical context. The daguerreotypes—previously used by Harvard for academic and commercial purposes—will now be displayed in a museum directly connected to the transatlantic slave trade. The case is being hailed as a precedent-setting moment for descendants of enslaved people and a significant milestone in the movement for reparative justice and institutional accountability. Civil rights lawyers and historians have praised the resolution for advancing public education and honoring the humanity of those depicted.