Object Details
Created by
Unidentified
Owned by
Harriet Tubman, American, 1822 - 1913
Caption
Harriet Tubman escaped the bonds of slavery as a young woman in the early 1800s. She returned to the South many times as a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad to lead other African Americans to freedom. During the Civil War, Tubman served as a spy, nurse, and cook for Union Forces. In 1863, she helped free more than 700 African Americans during a raid in South Carolina - a feat that earned her the nickname "General Tubman." England's Queen Victoria gave Tubman this shawl around 1897.
From Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963.
Description
A white, square-shaped shawl made of silk lace and linen, given to Harriet Tubman by Queen Victoria around 1897.
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Charles L. Blockson
Date
ca. 1897
Object number
2009.50.39
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Type
shawls
Medium
silk lace and linen
Dimensions
H x W: 36 1/2 x 28 1/2 in. (92.7 x 72.4 cm)
Place used
Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Place depicted
England, Europe
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Topic
African American
Activism
Clothing and dress
Emancipation
Freedom
Slavery
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmaahc_2009.50.39