Original cabinet phtograph of Whitman, 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches, on card stock as issued

Philadelphia, PA: Frederick Guttekunst, (Circa 11880). Ed Folsom writes of Gutekunst and Whitman's relationship with him: "Frederick Gutekunst [1831-1917], born and raised in Germantown, Pennsylvania. He was a well-known Philadelphia photographer and innovator in photoduplication techniques, mastering many of the early processes of photoengraving; his gallery had presses that allowed for large volume reproductions of photographs. His "Imperial Galleries" on Arch Street opened in 1856 and remained under his control until his death. Like Sarony in New York, Gutekunst focused his business on celebrities and compiled the world's largest collection of celebrity cabinet card portraits. His 1865 photo of Ulysses S. Grant is generally considered the best Grant image. Whitman often took advantage of Gutekunst's abilities to duplicate and print photos cheaply; he ordered thousands of copies from him and had photos of his parents duplicated by his gallery. Whitman rated Gutekunst "on top of the heap" of photographers and sent him complimentary copies of his publications as early as September 1876. When he received some photos from Gutekunst in 1888, Whitman said, "They are first-rate: they satisfy my sense of photographic righteousness. . . ." Still, Whitman had some reservations about Gutekunst's overall portraiture skills, and criticized some of his results." This appears to the same image of Whitman taken during a sitting at Gutekunst's Arch Street studio on September 22, 1880. Card a bit discolored on verso of photograph, with some pencil annotations, but with the image in good condition. Card a bit discolored on verso of photograph, with some pencil annotations, but with the image in good condition.