Snapshots of the Past

[Window display of books and portraits of Walt Whitman in Damrell & Upham bookstore, Boston?] – Antique Photo Print

[Window display of books and portraits of Walt Whitman in Damrell & Upham bookstore, Boston?], [no date recorded on caption card] — historic photograph
[Window display of books and portraits of Walt Whitman in Damrell & Upham bookstore, Boston?], [no date recorded on caption card]. Historic photograph from the Books & Writers collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

A window into the past: [Window display of books and portraits of Walt Whitman in Damrell & Upham bookstore, Boston?], preserved in this historic photograph. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

[Window display of books and portraits of Walt Whitman in Damrell & Upham bookstore, Boston?]

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Shop windows like this one, with stacked books and portraits of Walt Whitman on display, show how a Boston bookseller promoted a poet whose work was controversial in the city. Whitman's *Leaves of Grass* had been printed in Boston, and in the 1880s local officials objected to its frank content, which made any public display of his books a notable choice. The record credits the photoprint to F.W. Brichall of Boston and carries no date, and the title is marked as uncertain, so the exact year and the store's identity should be confirmed before relying on them. Still, the scene offers a look at how literary reputations were sold on the street.

Created / published[no date recorded on caption card]
Medium1 photographic print.
NotesPhotoprint by F.W. Brichall, Boston. Fein./Whitman Collection. This record contains unverified data from caption card. Caption card tracings: Photog. I.; Boston; BI; Bus.; Shelf.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,218 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-152439

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