Walt Whitman

This photograph of poet Walt Whitman was taken at photographer Mathew Brady's studio in Washington, DC. 

Whitman is one of the most famous American poets of all time and author of Leaves of Grass. He was born on May 31, 1819, near the town of Huntington on Long Island, New York. At age 11, he was apprenticed to a law clerk and discovered the wonder of books. He later worked as a printer, journalist, teacher, and carpenter before finding his voice as a poet.

During the Civil War, Whitman traveled to Washington, DC, to see his brother, George, who had been wounded. He stayed in Washington and volunteered helping wounded and sick soldiers in Army hospitals. He also worked for the Federal Government for many years. He worked in the Army paymaster’s unit, at the Department of the Interior, as a clerk for the Attorney General at the Department of Justice, and later in Solicitor’s Office at the Department of Treasury.

While he was in the nation’s capital, Whitman was photographed by famous photographer Mathew Brady on multiple occasions.

Whitman left Washington in 1873 after suffering a stroke and moved to Camden, New Jersey, to live with his brother. He spent the rest of his life writing and spending time with friends and family. Whitman died in Camden on March 26, 1892.