Description: This three-quarter length image of a bearded African American man in young middle age shows him holding a folded white paper in his right hand as he moves forward. He stands next to a stone wall that has remnants of former posters or notices, the word "black" incised into the wall and visible at top is what appears to be a sign with the printed words "the polls."
Historical Note: After Alfred R. Waud's cover image "The First Vote" was published in Harper's Weekly in late 1867, anticipating the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment granting African American males the right to vote, other artists, like Thomas Waterman Wood, picked up the theme. Here Wood has chosen to portray a young middle aged man with hands worn by work and rumpled clothing and hat. His eyes and expression appear bright and hopeful as he approaches the poll to cast a vote for the first time in his life.
Contributing Institution: Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art
Rights: Images reproduced on this website are intended for individual, educational use only. For research inquiries about specific objects or requests for high resolution images, contact the Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art
Digital Publisher: Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University
