The Whitman Daguerreotype Project
It is hard to
imagine what it would have been like to live during Whitman's lifetime
— to see firsthand the explosive growth of New York City and Brooklyn,
the technological advances that radically altered American society, the
ravages of a civil war; it was a time of upheaval and discord that fueled
Whitman's poetic voice. Through his words we are able to experience some
of the emotion of this turbulent time. Fortunately, as this distinct American
poetic voice emerged, so did the American photographic art form. Through
the early works of Matthew
Brady and Levin C. Handy’s studios we are able to approach,
through a visual medium, Walt Whitman's work in a unique light.
The Whitman Daguerreotype Project was
created to help develop a more in-depth understanding of the life and
poetry of Walt Whitman by combining his words with images to create an
engaging and entertaining presentation. The images were obtained through
the Library of Congress, except where noted, and are identified by their
LOC identification number. Although most of the photographs were taken
during Whitman's life (some were even owned by him), not all are actually
daguerreotypes.
There are several prints and recent images interspersed, which are included
to show the diverse and continued connections that exist between Whitman's
poetry and these places. To explore the vast collection of LOC images,
please visit their website.
All images are considered to be in the public domain; if anyone should
have knowledge of conflicting publication rights, please contact the Mickle
Street Review.
All page numbers cited in the project correspond
to the following publication:
Walt Whitman: Complete Poetry and Collected Prose. Ed. Justin
Kaplan. New York: The Library of America,
1982.
© 2005