tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post8134828104992822192..comments2023-08-24T12:04:02.206-04:00Comments on In Progress: On Trusting Secondary SourcesLeigh Foughthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07102415523396384540noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-17046238139987633172017-06-26T23:11:15.240-04:002017-06-26T23:11:15.240-04:00Just now seeing this! Sarah Blackall and her husba...Just now seeing this! Sarah Blackall and her husband, Frank, and their children were Rochester friends of Douglass and his family.Sallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11118504433376136651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-90401980707677127262013-10-26T17:21:13.396-04:002013-10-26T17:21:13.396-04:00Hi, Leigh - Just saw your question. Sarah Blackall...Hi, Leigh - Just saw your question. Sarah Blackall was a Rochester friend. Her family and his were friends. (Her husband was Burton "Frank" Blackall. Among other things, he managed Douglass' properties in Rochester after they moved to DC.) They remained friends after the move, and I know Sarah and maybe her daughters visited them at least once there.Sallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11118504433376136651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-59806736535537466962012-02-21T04:34:44.601-05:002012-02-21T04:34:44.601-05:00You're right that Uniontown doesn't square...You're right that Uniontown doesn't square. I'm pretty sure that 11st NW would be more likely. Charles did live around Uniontown, and Cedar Hill was sometimes designated as being in Uniontown. If the paper says 11st NW, go with that. Remember that biographers can sometimes be wrong -- even me!Leigh Foughthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07102415523396384540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-57032468583156586392012-01-25T10:09:56.264-05:002012-01-25T10:09:56.264-05:00Every year that the New National Era is listed in ...Every year that the New National Era is listed in City Directories the address for the paper is 11th Street NW. McFeely says the "offices" of the paper were in Uniontown which doesn't seem to square straight. And since he makes no citation there is no way to confirm or refute. In 19th century printing shops, from what I have read, the press and offices were in the same location. The city directories show Charles R. living in "Potomac City" in 1869. In 1871 Frederick is listed in the City Directory as "Douglass Frederick, editor New National Era, Anacostia" with his son, Frederick Jr. also living in Anacostia. Frederick, Jr. is listed as a printer.<br /><br />Looking over the paper it doesn't make any mention of the paper having offices anywhere other than 11th Street NW.John Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09414125388236899114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-44899486547834922472012-01-23T13:05:31.768-05:002012-01-23T13:05:31.768-05:00John M -- First, my apologies that your comment wa...John M -- First, my apologies that your comment was caught in moderation. Seconds, McFeely's notes are questionable to say the least, but I'm giving him a slight pass because some of the issue may be with the publisher. Have you found the location?<br /><br />Sally -- Responding almost a year later -- that is an interesting story. Is this a Rochester or D.C. friend?Leigh Foughthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07102415523396384540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-56623706299859783832012-01-18T23:50:12.448-05:002012-01-18T23:50:12.448-05:00McFeely says that the offices for the New National...McFeely says that the offices for the New National Era were in Uniontown. He makes no notes of that and I see no evidence in any city directories. There are many others. This is probably a systemic problem with most books.John Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09414125388236899114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-89053421183477446762011-03-13T12:28:04.663-04:002011-03-13T12:28:04.663-04:00A little tidbit here: Sarah Blackall, whose family...A little tidbit here: Sarah Blackall, whose family I am researching, made a violin case for Douglass, according to a 1929 write-up of family memories by her daughter Gertrude. She wrote, "Mr. Douglass kept his beloved violin in a silk case that mother made for him from her wedding gown."Sallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11118504433376136651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-74688644435007070852011-02-10T06:14:22.326-05:002011-02-10T06:14:22.326-05:00Ubab, that's an interesting observation. I did...Ubab, that's an interesting observation. I didn't know about the connection between Victorian propriety and the violin. If I can pinpoint when he learned the violing, then that piece will go to reinforce the argument that he consciously crafted himself into the black bourgeoisie. That would also make sense that the two biographers might suggest that Anna was invovlved because -- as will be covered in the chapter, the paper, and a later post! -- there was quite a bit of effort in her life and after to portray Anna as equally interested in joining the black bourgeoisie, which is not entirely wrong, but also not entirely accurate. <br /><br />The one who said that she actually played the violin? Would it be unprofessional to say that this particular book of his is a complete disaster of research, interpretation, and flat out fictionalization? His motives may have been to introduce new and interesting material into a book completely devoid of such, or it may be -- as I have noticed since the last full traditional biography of Douglass -- a way to address the women in his life and include them in his story without doing a whole lot of work into the women themselves. Thank goodness for the last because more room for me!Leigh Foughthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07102415523396384540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-46720634071433410942011-02-09T19:47:24.222-05:002011-02-09T19:47:24.222-05:00When Gandhi went to England as a student he also t...When Gandhi went to England as a student he also took up the violin as well as diction lessons. He said in his autobiography that he did that in order to try to be a proper English gentleman and quit when he realized he looked like an idiot. I wonder if Douglass and his biographer were on the same track. The biographer emphasized (or made up) the violin in order to accentuate his Victorian propriety, and maybe Douglass took up the violin for the same reason?Ubabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04572604261286394798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-44791324085882006612011-01-25T06:48:33.626-05:002011-01-25T06:48:33.626-05:00Hey Digger! Thank you again for the link love!
I&...Hey Digger! Thank you again for the link love!<br /><br />I'm thinking that the unfounded assertions were not necessarily made out of any malice. In fact, some of them were made to make Anna -- who is the focus of this particular post -- look better. I'm not sure that does her any good because that assumes that she herself was not up to a certain ideal standard for Douglass. That goes back to Greer's statement about Shakespeare's biographers: there is something that they want for their subject and something that they are trying to explain about their subject's attraction to this particular woman. In the absence of evidence, they embroider the details. I think I have another post about what we actually do know about Anna coming up next!<br /><br />I tried the violin as a small child. I sucked. Hence, I know the screetch scratches of the beginner. You would think my parents would have rethought the whole "we want her to be musical" desire and given into the ballet lessons. Those would have been softer on the ear! But, you know, it is never too late to try (you know, in your copious spare time).Leigh Foughthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07102415523396384540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579199827983575855.post-11755438244793814102011-01-23T23:38:15.648-05:002011-01-23T23:38:15.648-05:00I'd be interested to know to what purpose the ...I'd be interested to know to what purpose the unfounded assertions were made; what narrative about Douglass' life (or of those around him, or of the authors of the book, or of the general public) were they serving?<br /><br />I've always wanted to play the violin. *wistful sigh*<br /><br />PS: My word verification was "presses"... Stop the Presses, what are they saying!Diggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14851524413793098615noreply@blogger.com