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Historical Documents Daguerreotype of Pierce Butler c.1847

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By the time this photograph of Pierce Butler was taken, the wealthy plantation owner's 14-year marriage to Fanny Kemble was nearing its end. He had filed for divorce in 1848, contending that she had "willfully, maliciously, and without due cause, deserted him on September 11, 1845." Kemble, who had in fact been driven away by Butler, returned from England to defend herself. The divorce was granted in 1849. Image Credit: Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book & Mauscript Library/University of Georgia Libraries previous | next

Related Entries: • Fanny Kemble and Pierce Butler • The Weeping Time • Butler Island

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