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In 1903, Mark Twain posed for a photograph with his friend, John T. Lewis, in Elmira, New York. They met in 1877 when Lewis saved Twain’s sister-in-law and her daughter. Lewis, an Elder in the Church of the Brethren, shared many discussions with Twain and inspired the character of Jim in Huckleberry Finn. Twain, who appreciated African American culture, was comfortable in the company of African Americans. He challenged racial ideologies in his works, notably in Huckleberry Finn and Pudd’nhead Wilson. Both Twain and Lewis are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira.
October 4, 2024