<I>Memoir of Pierre Toussaint: Born a Slave in St. Domingo</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1854
name: label: Written by
content: Hannah Farnham Sawyer Lee, American, 1780 - 1865
label: Published by
content: Crosby, Nichols, and Company, American, 1844 - 1864
label: Subject of
content: Pierre Toussaint, Haitian American, 1766 - 1835
label: Owned by
content: C. Burr Artz Library, American, founded 1936
label: Owned by
content: Melvin Lee Steadman Jr, American, 1932 - 1987
notes: label: Description
content: An 124-page hard bound book entitled Memoir of Pierre Toussaint, born a slave in St. Domingo by Hannah Farnham Sawyer Lee. The cover is dark green with a blind-stamped geometrical design on the cover. There are floral motifs on the top and bottom edges of the design and along the outer borders. The spine has gilt lettering and graphics. There are whimsical designs with long curves and flowers along the upper and mid to lower edges. [Pierre / Toussaint / H. F. Lee] is written in a gothic style font along the first quarter of the spine. Particles of the spine are beginning to flake off.
label: Description
content: An inscription written on the right side of the endleaf reads [Melvin Lee Steadman / Hamilton, Virginia / July 31, 1966].
label: Description
content: A detached engraved portrait frontispiece image with tissue paper covering is laying on top of the title page. It has an illustration of Pierre Toussaint with an inscription written in French with his signature below. The frontispiece and the tissue show signs of aging.
label: Description
content: The title page shows the formal title, other works by the author, and the publisher’s information. A former owner, the C. Burr Artz Public Library has also embossed their name on the title page.
label: Description
content: Hannah Farnham Sawyer Lee wrote the book using Toussaint's correspondence with various relatives and acquaintances along with personal interactions with Toussaint. In addition to Toussaint's life in St. Domingo, the author also provides information about St. Domingo's economy, political climate, and a brief account of Toussaint L’Ouverture, a well-known leader of the Haitian Revolution. During the unrest on the island, Pierre Toussaint, his sister, Rosalie and their enslaver, John Bérard, moved to New York, where Toussaint was trained as a hairdresser, and soon developed a growing clientele. Following the death of Bérard, Toussaint cared for Bérard’s widow, paying her debts and using his savings to buy her luxuries. Upon her death, she freed Toussaint. Toussaint then purchased his sister and his wife’s freedom. In the memoir, Toussaint does not claim to be an abolitionist, stating that he did not witness violence and bloodshed while he was enslaved. In the remainder of the narrative, he describes the development of his most important relationship, that with his wife, Juliette and his niece, Euphemia who he and his wife adopted early on in her life.
label: Description
content: At the end, there is a short appendix which highlights Toussaint’s death announcements from New York newspapers.
place: label: Place depicted
content: Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Beauty culture
label: Topic
content: Emancipation
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Labor
label: Topic
content: Law
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: Urban life
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Books and Published Materials
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2010.1.259
objectType: label: Type
content: hardcover books
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper (fiber product), leather, and thread
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 7 5/16 × 4 7/8 × 9/16 in. (18.5 × 12.4 × 1.5 cm)