BLIND TOM - RARE CDV PHOTO PIANO PLAYER SAVANT AFRICAN AMERICAN 1860s BLACK MAN macabre Tom who never knew he

Tom who never knew he was a slave -- or that he was free -- remained a virtual slave continuing to provide income for Bethune

51 in 5XL 33

Sixth plate daguerreotype of an elderly man seated next to possibly a window or reflecting screen

by the photographer William Abbott Pratt

Dag is unsealed

BLIND TOM - RARE CDV PHOTO PIANO PLAYER SAVANT AFRICAN AMERICAN 1860s BLACK MAN macabre Tom who never knew heRare original CDV of "Blind Tom", with imprint of Hoag & Quick, Cincinnati. Thomas Bethune, also known as Tom Wiggins, AKA "Blind Tom (1849 1908) was born an autistic savant on the Georgia plantation of Jame Bethune. Early in his childhood Tom displayed the uncanny ability to mimic sounds. Listening to his master's children practicing the piano, Tom astounded his master by picking out the chords himself. By the age of six Tom was composing his own