Abolition Meeting Held at Willis's Rooms in Honor of Harriet Beecher Stowe

William Henry Fisk

1853 · Watercolor · Drawings and Prints

After Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1852) became a best-seller in Britain and America, the author visited England and Scotland to promote her anti-slavery beliefs. Society thronged to meet her, and commentators mentioned her small stature and unassuming appearance. This drawing depicts a packed reception held on May 25, 1853 at Willis's Rooms, an upscale social club located on King Street, in London's Mayfair. On this occasion, Stowe was honored by the British and Foreign Antislavery Society and the drawing shows her in the left foreground, accompanied by black and white gentlemen, greeting an admirer.

Artist

William Henry Fisk

Date

1853

Medium

Watercolor

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1955