A watercolor painting depicts a Black man resting on a log. The painting evokes peace, the antithesis of the tumultuous period /Center for Brooklyn History/Artist James Ryder van Brunt.
By Shannon Williams
Formerly known as the Brooklyn Historical Society, the Center for Brooklyn History houses over 1,600 archival collections, 33,000 books, and more, preserving Brooklyn’s culture and history through a wide range of materials. In the ‘80s, the institution established itself as a library and a museum, providing a space to collect and document the stories and history of Brooklyn natives that is accessible to all.
On Jan. 30th, the Center for Brooklyn History kicked off a new genealogy exhibition titled Trace/s: Family History Research and the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn featuring artwork and documentation—including bill of sales—of slavery in Brooklyn, honing on the impact of this tumultuous period on the cultivation of Brooklyn and Brooklynites.
On the left is an oil painting of John A. Lott, and on the right is an oil painting of the great-granddaughter of Samuel Anderson, Mildred E. Jones is holding in her hands a family heirloom belonging to Anderson, a cowbell./Center for Brooklyn History/Artists Thomas M. Jensen, and Rusty, Zimmerman
Anderson was born into slavery to one of the most affluent enslavers, Jeremiah Lott, owning over 200 acres of land. Anderson was emancipated in 1827. There are no known photographs to display of Samuel Anderson, which speaks to the importance of genealogy research, as his story is one of many to be told. To honor Anderson’s ancestry, Jones was painted, displaying portraits of these two families side by side, emphasizing the heartbreaking history of slavery in Brooklyn.
Above is a document from 1816 showing a bill of sale for an enslaved man named Frank, who was heartbreakingly sold for $166. Jeremiah Lott was among those present for the sale./Center for Brooklyn History/Gertrude Lefferts Vanderbilt Collection.
Trace/s allows Brooklynites to connect with the history that has made Brooklyn into what it is today. While it is heartbreaking, it stands as a pillar of Brooklyn. To accompany the exhibit, the Center for Brooklyn History will be hosting programs where patrons can connect deeper with the history and have conversations regarding the collections displayed for the exhibit. The exhibit will be available for viewing until Aug. 30.
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