Enslaved People's Photos from 1850 Return to South Carolina Museum

Descendants say the daguerreotypes are finally 'coming home' after a legal battle with Harvard University.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 8:12pm

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After a seven-year legal fight, Harvard University has turned over a set of 1850 daguerreotypes depicting enslaved people from South Carolina to the International African American Museum in Charleston. The photos, believed to be the earliest known photographs of enslaved individuals, will be preserved and displayed by the museum to tell the stories of the seven people shown - Renty, his daughter Delia, and others named Jack, Drana, Alfred, Fassena and Jem.

Why it matters

The return of these rare historical photos to South Carolina, where the subjects were enslaved, is seen as an important step in honoring their lives and humanity that was stripped away by the institution of slavery. The museum plans to use the images to anchor an exhibit detailing the lives of these individuals.

The details

The daguerreotypes were commissioned by a Harvard biologist in 1850 for racist research, and the university had long resisted calls to return the photos. But after a lawsuit filed by Tamara Lanier, who claims Renty was her great-great-great-grandfather, the two sides reached a deal in 2025 to transfer the images to the International African American Museum in Charleston.

  • The photos were taken in 1850.
  • Lanier filed the lawsuit against Harvard in 2018.
  • The legal battle lasted seven years before the deal was reached in 2025.
  • The photos are being transferred to the museum in Charleston in March 2026.

The players

Tamara Lanier

A descendant who claims the enslaved man Renty depicted in the photos was her great-great-great-grandfather.

Joshua Koskoff

The attorney representing Tamara Lanier in the lawsuit against Harvard University.

Harvard University

The institution that had long possessed the 1850 daguerreotypes of enslaved individuals and resisted calls to return them.

International African American Museum

The museum in Charleston, South Carolina that will now preserve and display the historical photos.

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What they’re saying

“It's almost spiritual they are coming home. They can breathe at the museum.”

— Joshua Koskoff, Attorney for Tamara Lanier

“Slavery robbed Renty and Delia of their humanity. But it was Harvard who robbed them of their story.”

— Joshua Koskoff, Attorney for Tamara Lanier

What’s next

The International African American Museum plans to preserve the daguerreotypes and display photos made from them to anchor an exhibit detailing the lives of the seven enslaved people from South Carolina.

The takeaway

The return of these rare historical photos to South Carolina, where the subjects were enslaved, is an important step in honoring their lives and humanity that was stripped away by slavery. The museum's plans to use the images to tell the stories of these individuals represents an effort to reclaim their narratives and restore the humanity that was taken from them.