Of Thee, I Sing

This project is a collaborative set of 21 portraits by photographer Patrick J. Mitchel and Marjorie Guyon. It begins with the true story of a wealthy Clark County Kentucky landowner who sells his own child. 

In 1810, Hannah gave birth to her first child, Daniel. Hannah was enslaved and her owner, Jeremiah, was Daniel’s father. In 1817, Jeremiah took Daniel and his mother to the courthouse in downtown Winchester. It was Christmastime. There was an auction on the courthouse steps.  Daniel was torn from the arms of his mother and sold. He was 7 years old. 

The story of Daniel and Hannah is deeply woven into the fabric of America. The images began with photographs of multi generational residents of Clark County, Kentucky but become a visual meditation on America asking how do we shift how we see ourselves and each other.
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And ultimately…How do we create an America we can all call our home?

Marjorie Guyon