Edmonia Lewis (1844–1907), also known as "Wildfire", was a sculptor of African-American and Native American heritage. Born free from slavery, Lewis spent her childhood in
Upstate New York and
New Jersey before moving to
Boston in 1864 to pursue her career as a sculptor. After training with marble-bust specialist
Edward Augustus Brackett, Lewis opened her own studio later in 1864. In 1866, she moved to
Rome, Italy, citing "opportunities for art culture" and finding "a social atmosphere where I was not constantly reminded of my color" as reasons for the move. She went on to spend most of her adult career there. Her largest and most significant work was a marble sculpture weighing more than 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) showing the
death of Cleopatra, which was created for the 1876
Centennial Exposition in
Philadelphia. This
albumen print of Lewis was produced in around 1870 by the German-American photographer Henry Rocher.
Photograph credit: Henry Rocher; restored by Adam Cuerden