CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard University has agreed to relinquish ownership of 175-year-old daguerreotypes of enslaved individuals to a South Carolina museum, concluding a prolonged legal battle waged by Tamara Lanier, who has long claimed to be a direct descendant of the subjects.
The images—believed to be the earliest known photographs of enslaved people—will be moved from Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, where the two subjects, Renty and his daughter Delia, were believed to have been enslaved in 1850. Lanier identified the man as her great-great-great-grandfather, whom she affectionately calls “Papa Renty.”
Lanier’s 15-year struggle for the return of the daguerreotypes, which Harvard once used for academic purposes, has now culminated in a legal and symbolic breakthrough that her attorney, Joshua Koskoff, called “unprecedented.”
“This may be the only instance in U.S. history where descendants of enslaved individuals have successfully won control of such historic visual documentation,” Koskoff told The Associated Press. “To reach back across 175 years and reclaim their humanity—this is a true victory for justice.”
The central legal issue revolved around whether Harvard could retain ownership of images created without consent for the pseudoscientific study of racial hierarchy commissioned by 19th-century Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz. Though Massachusetts courts ruled that Harvard held legal title to the photographs, they also allowed Lanier to pursue damages for emotional harm.
Harvard stated on Wednesday that it had been working for years toward the ethical transfer of the images “to place them in proper context and expand public access.”
As part of the settlement, the photographs will now be removed from Harvard’s possession, and while financial terms were not disclosed, Koskoff confirmed that the resolution includes an undisclosed monetary component.
At a press event marking the agreement, Lanier stood beside Susanna Moore, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Louis Agassiz, whose racist theories once underpinned the academic misuse of the images.
“This is a moment in history where the sons and daughters of stolen ancestors can stand with pride and rightfully proclaim a victory for reparations,” Lanier said. “These stolen images—taken without dignity or consent—will finally be returned to a place that can honor their truth and humanity.”
Moore acknowledged the pain inflicted by her ancestor’s work, calling the daguerreotypes “a deeply racist project.” She praised Lanier’s resilience and added, “This victory reminds us that the meaning of objects in museums can and should evolve. This woman beside me knew she was not small, and she was never alone.”
Tonya M. Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum, called the settlement “175 years in the making.” She lauded Lanier’s courage and confirmed that the museum would involve her directly in curating the display and narrative surrounding the images.
“The bravery, tenacity, and grace shown by Ms. Lanier in returning these sacred images to South Carolina sets a model for us all,” Matthews said.
Lanier’s original lawsuit also demanded that Harvard acknowledge its historical ties to slavery and listen to her oral family history. While the settlement ended the case, Koskoff emphasized that Harvard has yet to publicly recognize either its complicity in slavery or Lanier’s familial link to Renty and Delia.
“That is just left unanswered by Harvard,” Koskoff said. “But even so, the settlement speaks volumes.”
Koskoff stressed that Lanier’s team supports Harvard’s opposition to recent moves by President Donald Trump’s administration, including efforts to cut federal funding and restrict international student enrollment—policies criticized as politically motivated attacks on elite universities.
“We are not here to bash Harvard,” Koskoff said. “But that doesn’t absolve them from the obligation to tell a full history, even one that reflects poorly on their own motto—Veritas.”
Lanier, he said, no longer awaits acknowledgment from Harvard. “In the end, the truth finds you,” Koskoff said. “Yes, history is written by the winners. But sometimes, over time, those winners come to look like losers.”
