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Family
Games Pizza Time
In the footsteps of the Washington family
Sarah, intrigued, embarks on an investigation worthy of a novel. She notices a barely visible stamp on the edge of the photograph, where the words "Mond" and "Free" are difficult to read. After some research, she tracked down a Richmond photographer named Josiah Henderson, who was known for offering affordable portraits to recently freed families.
In an old register from his studio, a line catches his attention: "A family of seven: father, mother, two daughters, three sons, recently freed. The father insists that all the children be photographed." By cross-referencing the municipal archives, documents relating to slavery and tax records, a name finally appears: James Washington, who already owned a small plot of land in Richmond in 1873, lived with his wife, Mary, and their five children.
Their ages match. The little girl with the scar on her wrist is called Ruth.
From silent pain to redemption
According to records, the Washington family lived as slaves on a nearby plantation before the Civil War. Testimonies from the time describe particularly cruel "control methods", especially towards children, to prevent mothers from taking them to the fields.
Later, official documents report a medical examination revealing that Ruth was suffering from permanent physical sequelae and extreme nervous sensitivity. Despite this violent past, the archives bear witness to a slow reconstruction: James became a farm worker, then a landowner, Mary worked tirelessly and the children learned to read.
Decades later, in the family Bible kept by their descendants, Ruth wrote a few moving lines about her childhood and photography: her father insisted that everyone be present, clearly visible, because "this image will outlive their voices."
