Seeking for the Lost

Before the end of the American Civil War, ads were placed by the ex-enslaved looking for lost family members which began to appear across the country in Black newspapers.

Using the organ of the Black press, ex-enslaved people hoped to be reunited with family by placing heart-wrenching ads with descriptions of their loved ones and the last place they were seen.

The exhibition features eight 20x24 portraits painted and framed in the cameo tradition by visual artist Christopher E. Harrison.