2-832-345 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Carte-de-visite of John W. Menard, the first black man ever elected to the United States House of Representatives. Menard's body is turned nearly in profile with his left side foremost, but his head is turned only one quarter and he looks slightly off frame. His hair is parted at his left side and smooth down on the top, but curly on the sides. He has a mustache. Menard wears a dark colored jacket, white shirt, and dark bowtie. The bottom portion of the image is purposefully faded in the popular style of the time. There is a double-lined border printed in gold ink surrounding the outside edges of the card mount.;Handwritten in graphite at the bottom of the print is the text "J. Willis Menard". All of the mark on the back of the photograph for Swymmer & Leeson except "& LEESON, No. STREET." has been crossed out, with "167 Poydras Street" inscribed at the bottom in ink.;The photograph is housed in the album 2017.30. The album page has a triple-lined, gold border framing the print. Handwritten in graphite in the lower left corner of the album page is the text "Swymmer / Leeson".