So my archive project has to do with a lot of the photography of Walt Whitman, and I think some of my very favorite photos of Whitman are those of him taken with children. So often there’s the assumption that people in the 19th century were incredibly stern and unsmiling simply because of how long and still you had to sit to get a photo taken. But these photos of Whitman with children are truly so endearing, and I wanted to share them with you all!

This photo was taken with the children of a friend of Whitman’s who housed him for long periodical stays in New York. Whitman also said he would sometimes go for walks with the children when he stayed there which is so sweet.

This photo is of Whitman with the niece and nephew of a friend, Jeannette Gilder.

Anyways, I just really liked how tender and fond he seemed of children and how much expression is found in these photos.