Born into slavery in Kentucky, Henry Boyd purchased his own freedom and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he eventually established and built a successful furniture factory. Boyd patented a design for his quick and easy to assemble bedsteads that would soon furnish hotels and households in the South and West. "Boyd's Bedsteads" became so popular, he began using steam-powered machinery to keep up with demand, fulfilling over 1,000 orders a year by the mid-1840s. In his craft and ingenuity, Boyd became one of the most successful African American entrepreneurs of the 19th century. Very few of these bed frames survive, with one being in the Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (object no. 2012.113.1a-m). For a further discussion on Boyd, visit https://www.searchablemuseum.com/henry-boyds-manufacturing-company/.