Whitman is wearing what he called his "night-dress" shirt, which he often wore for Gardner photos. His hair and dress in this photograph, which was probably taken in New York, are very similar to the photograph Whitman referred to as having "a sort of Moses in the burning bush look" (Horace Traubel, With Walt Whitman in Camden, Friday, June 15, 1888).
For more information on Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner, see "Notes on Whitman's Photographers."
Photographer: Gardner, Alexander, 1821–1882
Photographer: Brady, Mathew B., 1823–1896
Date: ca. 1862
Technique: photograph
Subject: Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892 | United States History Civil War, 1861-1865
Creator of master digital image: Walt Whitman House (Camden, NJ)
Rights: Public Domain. This image may be reproduced without permission.
Work Type: digital image
Date: ca. 1995–ca. 2000