Why Was an Enslaved Man’s Skeleton Displayed in a Museum Until 1970?

For decades, visitors to a Connecticut museum could see a human skeleton on display. People knew him as “Larry.” But Larry wasn’t his name. His name was Fortune. Fortune was an enslaved Black man who lived in Waterbury, Connecticut, during the 18th century. He was enslaved by physician Dr. Preserved Porter, along with Fortune’s wife, Dinah, and their children. Church records preserve something slavery’s paperwork often didn’t: His identity. Fortune and Dinah were baptized at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Waterbury. Then, in 1798, Fortune died. He was approximately 50 years old. What happened next denied him the burial normally expected after death. Porter was a physician. Instead of burying Fortune, Porter dissected his body and prepared his skeleton for anatomical study. The bones were passed down through generations of the Porter family. More than a century later, in 1933, they were donated to Waterbury’s Mattatuck Museum. But somewhere along the way, Fortune’s identity disappeared. Someone had written another name on his skull: “Larry.” The museum displayed the skeleton for decades. He even appeared on a museum postcard. Then, in 1970, the skeleton was removed from public exhibition and placed in storage. For years afterward, the man behind the bones remained largely forgotten. Then researchers began reconstructing his story. Historical documents identified him as Fortune. Scientists studied the skeleton itself. His bones showed evidence of a life of severe physical labor and injuries. The museum eventually began working with historians, scientists, clergy, and the local community to treat Fortune not as an anatomical specimen— but as a person. Then, 215 years after his death, Fortune finally received a funeral. On September 12, 2013, his remains lay in state at the Connecticut Capitol. A funeral procession carried him back to Waterbury. And he was buried at Riverside Cemetery. His headstone bears his actual name: FORTUNE For generations, his body had been used to teach anatomy. Eventually, researchers used those same bones to recover something far more important. His humanity. #Fortune #BlackHistory #ConnecticutHistory #Slavery #MedicalHistory #WaterburyCT #MattatuckMuseum #AfricanAmericanHistory #HistoryTok #blackhistoryfacts