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1864?. Alexander Gardner, Washington, D.C. Saunders #21. Courtesy
Alderman Library, University of Virginia.
Dated 1863
by Whitman. Whitman referred to this photo as "the best
picture of
all," and recalls a reporter writing about it that "Whitman had
been photographed in his night-dress" (a comment that WW said
made Gardner "fiery mad"). This is no doubt the photo Whitman had
in mind when he wrote in an 1869 Washington Chronicle
article
about the best portraits of himself, and noted "Mr. Gardiner
[sic], on Seventh street . . . has a capital photo." Late in
his life, Whitman described the photo as having "Almost the old
professor look." Whitman said that Thomas Eakins preferred this
photo to all others: "Eakins likes it--says it is the most
powerful picture of me extant--always excepting his own, to be
sure." Looking at the photo, Whitman mused, "How well I was
then!--
not a sore spot--full of initiative, vigor, joy--not much
belly, but grit, fibre, hold, solidity. Indeed, all through
those years--that period--I was at my best--physically at my
best, mentally, every way."
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