The tale of enslaved African Wilson Chinn from Louisiana is an interesting one. Chinn was branded on his forehead by the initials of his last master, which in itself is quite appalling. This man was accustomed to brand his negroes, and Wilson has on his forehead the letters “V. These “calling cards” or cdv’s became omnipresent in American culture in December 1863 and Chinn’s photos with chains and torture instruments were meant to excite anti-slavery emotion. Their tale becoming public also exposed how the newborn medium of photography helped changed the course of history.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 10, 2020 18:56 UTC