"I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids--and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me."

- Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man"

Locations

Mount Vernon Plantation 1937 A 1937 painting of the Mount Vernon Mansion (from the MVLA). George Washington's father, Augustine Washington, built the home in 1734. George's older brother, Lawrence lived at... -	Mount Vernon Plantation in ruin Photo of the Mount Vernon Plantation when West Ford was a caretaker there. (Photo courtesy of MVLA). Pamela Cunningham founded the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union and wanted... -	Present Day Mount Vernon Plantation The Mansion house is approximately 3500 square feet with 21 ones. West Ford was instrumental in telling the MVLA when they bought the property about the original room decor (I Cannot Tell... -	Mount Vernon Plantation, walk way Present day photo along a walk way to the slave cabins. Photo from collection LABH. -
Ford descendents at at Mount Vernon Photo of Janet Allen, Linda Allen Hollis, Judy Burton and Joy Allen Stone on a visit to Mount Vernon. From LABH collection. -	Mount Vernon Plantation View of the Potomac River at Mount Vernon. The two-story porch faces the river. From LABH collection. -	Old Tomb George Washington Photo of Linda at the old tomb of George Washington on the Mount Vernon plantation. There are two family tombs located at Mount Vernon. The "old tomb" was the original family crypt,... -	Slave Cemetery at Mount Vernon Linda at the Mount Vernon slave cemetery. The Stone reads: "In memory of the many faithful colored servants of the Washington family at Mount Vernon from 1760-1860. Their... -
Memorial Stone This is a moument placed in the Mount Vernon Slave Cemetery titled "Life Unfinished". The slave cemetery is considered sacred ground for the slaves and freed blacks who worked at the... -	Wreath for West A wreath dedicated to West Ford at the slave cemetery at Mount Vernon. From LABH collection. -	Plaque at Mount Vernon in honor of West Ford This is a plaque that was placed at the entry of the Mount Vernon Slave cemtery for slave burial area. It mentions West Ford: West Ford (1784-1863), a freed slave who was hird by the... -	Linda and and Judith on steps at Mount Veron Photo of the cousins Linda and Judith at Mount Vernon Plantation. The ladies were on an official visit to present documentation on the Ford family legacy. From LABH collection. -
At Mount Vernon Photo of Judy Burton, Linda Allen B. Hollis and Ruby Saunders at Mount Vernon. From LABH collection. -	Reinactment Mount Vernon Photo from the LABH collection. -	Spinning Room Mount Vernon Plantation Major George Ford was born in the room above the spinning room on the Mount Vernon Plantation. -	Powel Coach Coach at Mount Vernon. From LABH collection. -
Fireplace Mount Vernon Photo of a fireplace from the slave quarters at Mount Vernon. From LABH collection. -	Angela Allen Henry at Camp Butler Angela Allen Henry on the steps of Camp Butler Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Major George Ford became the first African American superintendent in1906 at Camp Butler. Photo by Homer... -	Allen Family at Camp Butler Some of the Allen Family members on a visit to Camp Butler Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois where James O. Allen, Major George Ford, Dr. Cecil Bruce Ford, Florence Ford, and C. Bruce Ford are... -	Camp Butler Admin Building Camp Bulter admin building in Springfield, Illinois. Photo by Angela Allen Henry. -