In 1838, at the age of 20, Douglass escaped to freedom via the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routs and safe houses established during the nineteenth century and used by enslaved African Americans to escape into free states and Canada. That year, he married Anna Murray, and the couple took Douglass as their married name, inspired by the main character in Sir Walter Scott’s poem The Lady of the Lake.

Anna Murray Douglass was Frederick Douglass’ wife for 44 years, until her death in 1882. As their daughter Rosetta Douglass wrote, ‘too often are the facts of the great sacrifices and heroic efforts of the wives of renowned men overshadowed by the achievements of the men, and the wonderful and beautiful part she has played so well is overlooked.’ Anna Murray Douglass was no exception to this. Even though Fredrick Douglass was the most photographed man in America in the nineteenth century, only few photographs of Ms Douglass remain. Anna Murray Douglass was an active participant in the Underground Railroad, having helped free hundreds of people from slavery, including Douglass himself.

Historical visual research and the use of archival sources form the backdrop of Julien’s filmmaking, photographic and cinematic processes. The visual research is then further expanded not only while on the film set but also during the post-production stage. His works, flowing along poetic narratives, do not adhere to linearity but evolve in a musical notational choreography. He says, ‘I pay great attention to set décor, lighting, performance, mise-en-scène, as well as editing, sonic, and visual effects to create a space for meditation on political and cultural questions.’

Isaac Julien, CBE RA (born 1960) is a critically acclaimed British artist and filmmaker. In 2018, Julien joined UC Santa Cruz where he is the distinguished professor of the arts and leads the IJ Lab together with Arts Professor Mark Nash. Recent international solo exhibitions include: Isaac Julien: Western Union: Small Boats, Neuberger Museum, New York (2020); Isaac Julien: Frederick Douglass: Lessons of the Hour, ​SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah (2019); Looking for Langston at Tate Britain (2019); and Playtime at LACMA (2019). Julien has previously exhibited at venues including Museum of Modern Art, New York (2013), Art Institute of Chicago (2013), Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego (2012), and Pompidou Centre Paris (2005).