Rare 1871 Stereoview Photograph – “Uncle Jack” Smith (Sitiki), Former Enslaved Man and Early Black Minister in Florida

Rare 1871 Stereoview Photograph – “Uncle Jack” Smith (Sitiki), Former Enslaved Man and Early Black Minister in Florida – Inventory Number: ALB 321

This powerful stereoview photograph, published in 1871, captures Jack “Uncle Jack” Smith (Sitiki) seated outside his cabin in St. Augustine, Florida. The image was taken when Smith was 84 years old and living on land granted to him by his former enslaver-turned-Unionist, Buckingham Smith. The card is captioned on the front: “Florida, The Land of Flowers and Tropical Scenery”, and on the reverse: “Uncle Jack and His Home”, providing context about Smith’s life and the estate on which he lived.

Born in Africa around 1787 and captured as a child, Sitiki was enslaved and brought to the United States. He was manumitted in Florida and became a Methodist minister in St. Augustine. Between 1869 and 1871, he co-wrote his autobiography with Buckingham Smith, his former enslaver, who later became a benefactor to Florida’s freed Black community. Upon Buckingham’s death in 1871, he left Sitiki a life interest in land in the Lincolnville neighborhood for the benefit of elderly and infirm Black residents.

Photographer/Publisher: Not credited (possibly G.W. Wilson & Co. or similar regional studio)

This image is a rare and poignant visual record of a formerly enslaved African man who lived to experience freedom and spiritual leadership, offering a humanizing and historically rich perspective on post-Civil War African American life in Reconstruction-era Florida.

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Inventory Number: ALB 321