LIZZY'S STORY

The story of Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley spans nearly a century. Born into slavery in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, in 1818, Elizabeth endured a dark and painful life for thirty-seven years. A gifted and skilled dressmaker, she drew upon her earnings to purchase her freedom and her son's. She journeyed to Washington, D.C., to establish her business, offering her dressmaking services.  

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Known for her exceptional fit and attention to detail, she was hired as the official "Modiste" (dressmaker) to the First Lady, Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln, a first in the White House's history.  

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The book takes you on an inside look at Elizabeth's commitment and dedication to her craft as a couturier during some of the most poignant and critical times in the Civil War and Post-Civil War eras.   It tells of her remarkable friendship with Mrs. Lincoln as her closest confidante, advisor, and best friend. 

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A hidden figure in history, this is the story of a woman who endured the unspeakable during her time of enslavement and is a testimony of her exceptional achievement not only as an instrumental force in the Abolitionist movement, Civil War, and post-war efforts but also tells the story of a single mother, a self-made entrepreneur, author, teacher, community leader, and artist. "Lizzy: The Elizabeth Keckley Story," magnifies her innovation, precision, focus, and unmatched skill that made her a haute couture virtuoso and arguably the very first American couturier who established a fashion house catering to the elite and most discerning women of the time.