Pen-and-ink sketches of the Amistad captives, which were drawn while the Africans were in New Haven awaiting trial, are now on display to the public for the first time at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, corner of Wall and High streets.
The 22 sketches are the work of William H. Townsend (1822-51) and were given to Yale in 1934 by Asa G. Dickerman, whose grandmother was the artist's cousin.
Townsend must have been about
18 years old when he drew the Africans' portraits, says Beinecke curator Christa Sammons. According to the captions, the individuals depicted are Grabo, Little Kale, Fargina, Sar, Bungair, Bana, Bar, Farquanar, Kimbo, Kezzuza, Suma, Fuli, Boro,
Malhue, Saby, Marqu, Pona (profile and front view), and Yuang. Two of the men are unidentified.
Little is known about Townsend, aside from the facts that he is buried in the Grove Street Cemetery and was descended from
a family that traced its New Haven roots back to the 1730s, says Sammons. According to family lore, she notes, prior to drawing the portraits, Townsend had quit his
job as a grocery delivery boy because he felt demeaned by having to knock at the back doors of his customers. "Perhaps he had an artistic temperament," suggests Sammons. "The vibrancy of his 22 Amistad sketches certainly supports that speculation."
The portraits will be on view through Jan. 31. The Beinecke Library is open for exhibition viewing 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free. For more information, call 432-2977.