"12 Years a Slave" was one of the big winners at this year’s Academy Awards, once again validating Solomon Northup’s harrowing story of forced servitude. But it’s also worth mentioning that while Northup’s story may be relatively new to some of us, it was also a 19th century best seller. It was so successful, in fact, that the New York Times profiled Northup back on January 20, 1853.

1853 NY Times article about Solomon Northup’s ordeal

Last week, Northup’s descendant’s talked about their now-famous ancestor and the impact that the film’s had on his legacy. You can watch that discussion over at C-SPAN.

(h/t Gothamist)