Life & Letters

Correspondence

About this Item

Title: John W. Alexander to Walt Whitman, 21 May 1887

Date: May 21, 1887

Whitman Archive ID: loc.04968

Source: The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Transcribed from digital images or a microfilm reproduction of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.

Related item: Whitman crossed out Alexander's note, and on the back of the letter, he wrote printer's instructions for the 1889 edition of Leaves of Grass.

Contributors to digital file: Alex Ashland, Ian Faith, Stefan Schöberlein, Stephanie Blalock, and Nicole Gray



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May 21 - 87

My dear Mr. Whitman—

Am sure it will give you pleasure to know that I am engaged—to Miss Alexander of N.Y. Same name but of course, no relation—yet.

Have been looking for your return to New York. When do you come?

Sincerely yours
John W. Alexander


Correspondent:
John White Alexander (1856–1915) was an American painter and illustrator, well known for his portraits of famous Americans including Oliver Wendell Holmes and John Burroughs, as well as Whitman, whose portrait he worked on from 1886 to 1889.


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