The most popular American of the 19th century in photographs was Douglass

Douglass took more portraits than even Abraham Lincoln, making him the most popular American in the 19th century in photographs. Douglass actively sought out the camera because he thought it was a crucial instrument for advancing civil rights since it allowed for a truthful and fair portrayal of African Americans. He purposefully avoided smiling for the camera, in part to fight the "happy slave" stereotypes that were prevalent at the time, particularly in settings like theater productions where white performers would dress as black people to conduct racist plays.

Douglass has 160 different portraits, more than Walt Whitman or Abraham Lincoln, two other 19th-century icons. During the Civil War, Douglass wrote extensively on the issue and referred to photography as a "democratic art" that may ultimately show black people as people rather than as "things." In the hopes that his picture would alter the way black males were generally perceived, he distributed his photos during speeches and lectures. In particular, he went on to freely distribute his photos throughout various speeches and seminars in an effort to alter people's perceptions about his race.