Walt Whitman by Frederick Gutekunst, 1880
This photograph appears in 1889 Leaves (pocket edition). Whitman asked Horace Traubel about this photo: "Do you think it glum? severe? I have had that suspicion but most people won't hear to it." When Traubel dissented, Whitman said, "I hope your view is correct: I don't want to figure anywhere as misanthropic, sour, doubtful: as a discourager—as a putter-out of lights" (Horace Traubel, With Walt Whitman in Camden, Saturday, November 3, 1888). Whitman records in his daybooks receiving photos from Gutekunst in March 1880.
For more information on Frederick Gutekunst, see "Notes on Whitman's Photographers."
Photographer: Gutekunst, Frederick, 1831–1917
Date: 1880
Technique: photograph
Subject: Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892
Instance(s):
Metadata for Digital Item
Creator of master digital image: Alderman Library, University of Virginia
Rights: Public Domain. This image may be reproduced without permission.
Work Type: digital image
Date: ca. 1995–ca. 2000