Alexander Gardner, 17 Oct 1821 - 10 Dec 1882 Search this
Sitter:
Walt Whitman, 31 May 1819 - 26 Mar 1892 Search this
Medium:
Albumen silver print
Dimensions:
Image: 17.1 × 22.9cm (6 3/4 × 9")
Mat: 22.9 × 27.9cm (9 × 11")
Provided by lender
Type:
Photograph
Date:
c. 1863
Exhibition Label:
Walt Whitman (1819–1892) came to Washington from New York City in search of his brother George, who had been wounded on December 13, 1862, at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Whitman found his brother, whose wound was not serious, and decided to stay in Washington. Whitman had been in a funk in New York: Leaves of Grass was not selling, and he was finding it difficult to write or revise his poetry. In Washington, Whitman assumed the role of a hospital visitor, comforting wounded soldiers, bringing them small treats, and, most important, writing their letters. He observed Abraham Lincoln, whom he idolized, from afar. And he began a relationship with Peter Doyle, a former Confederate soldier, whom he met on a streetcar and lived with for eight years.
The other people in this photograph cannot be identified. The leaves on the trees would indicate that it was taken in late spring or summer of 1863.
Topic:
Equipment\Sports Equipment\Fishing Pole Search this