Frederick Douglass — Oversized Portrait Issued by Carter G. Woodson and the Associated Publishers.

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A nearly life-size portrait of Frederick Douglass (1818–1895)—famed abolitionist and orator—based on a photograph depicting him as an elder statesman.

Founded in 1921 by Carter G. Woodson, Associated Publishers, Inc. of Washington, D.C., specialized in works on African-American history, including Woodson’s own publications. Woodson, often called the “Father of Black History,” launched Negro History Week (now Black History Month) in February 1926.

Jarvis R. Given’s 2021 book Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching details the Associated Publishers’ tradition of producing “lithographs with suitable margins for framing,” showcasing prominent African Americans. These portraits were advertised from the 1930s and onward. As an example, the firm’s 1939 catalog, Valuable Books on the Negro, offered “Large Pictures” suitable for “Assembly Halls and Offices, Almost Life Size—19 x 24 Inches, $1.00 a Piece—Six for $5.00…They supply a long felt need for pictures large enough to be seen at a distance and easily recognized.”

Not in OCLC or in the collections of Howard University, including their digital “Associated Publishers Photograph Morgue.”

Price: $650.00