Bishops of the A.M.E. Church [caption title] by [African Methodist Episcopal Church]. [Lithograohy] - 1876

Boston: J.H. Daniels, 1876. Good.. Pictorial lithograph, 16 x 20 inches. Moderate overall toning and dust-soiling, noticeable dampstaining around edges, a handful of short closed edge tears and chips, tiny hole at center not affecting images, one small tape repair to verso. A striking visual celebration of the early notable figures, events, and institutions of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The center of the lithograph contains a small portrait of Bishop Richard Allen, surrounded by slightly smaller portraits of other notable A.M.E. bishops, namely Willis Nazrey, Edward Waters, Morris Brown, William Paul Quinn, Daniel A. Payne, Jabez P. Campbell, Thomas M.D. Ward, John M. Brown, James A. Shorter, and Alexander W. Wayman. The outer margins are decorated with six vignettes featuring significant events in the short history of the church, as well as some of the church's important institutions. These vignettes feature an illustration of the Holy Bible, deemed "Our Guide to Heaven;" an 1816 preaching scene in Philadelphia labeled "Early Days of African Methodism;" a coastal scene representing the A.M.E. as "First Missionaries to Port-au-Prince Hayti;" and views of Wilberforce University, Payne Institute, and the A.M.E. Book Depository in Philadelphia. The copyright notice names John H.W. Burley as the owner of the copyright, registered in Washington, D.C. in 1876. A few inches to the right of the copyright notice is a line reading: "Printed by J.H. Daniels, Boston." A rather rare 19th-century lithograph celebrating African American church leaders and their history. OCLC reports just four institutional copies, at the Library of Congress, AAS, Boston University's School of Theology, and the Clements Library.