Alexander Gardner (1821-1882)Walt Whitman and Partyc. 1863Albumen silver printThe Western Reserve Hi
Alexander Gardner (1821-1882)Walt Whitman and Partyc. 1863Albumen silver printThe Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohiovia: “Dark Fields of the Republic: Alexander Gardner Photographs, 1859-1872”Walt Whitman (1819-1892) came to Washington from New York City in search of his brother George, who had been wounded on December 13, 1862, at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Whitman found his brother, whose wound was not serious, and decided to stay in Washington. Whitman had been in a funk in New York: Leaves of Grass was not selling, and he was finding it difficult to write or revise his poetry. In Washington, Whitman assumed the role of a hospital visitor, comforting wounded soldiers, bringing them small treats, and, most important, writing their letters. He observed Abraham Lincoln, whom he idolized, from afar. And he began a relationship with Peter Doyle, a former Confederate soldier, whom he met on a streetcar and lived with for eight years. The other people in this photograph cannot be identified. The leaves on the trees would indicate that it was taken in late spring or summer of 1863. (Text from the exhibition website) / Art Blart -- source link
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