2-832-804 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

A metal pin back button featuring a photographic image of William Nash (1822-1888), an African American barber, shoe shine, porter, waiter, and state senator in South Carolina. Nash was born enslaved in Virginia, and gained his freedom at the age of 43 with the passage of the 13th Amendment. After the Civil War he became a state legislator during the Reconstruction Era. He was instrumental in drafting South Carolina's Constitution of 1868. The pin is oval and made of metal with a slight tarnish. The front features a beaded design around the edge of the picture and the back is slightly indented with a horizontal pin across the middle. The photo is placed loosely in the frame and features a bust shot of Nash wearing a suit jacket and tie. He has a beard and mustache.