Edgar Allan Poe sat in a daguerreotype studio for a known total of six times throughout his life. The first sitting took place in 1842, shortly after the daguerreotype process became popular in America. The last daguerreotype taken of Poe occurred just two weeks before his death in 1849.

Two out of those six sittings took place right here in Providence, Rhode Island, at the studio of Masury and Hartshorn on Westminster Street in November, 1848. The first sitting at that studio captured what is undoubtedly the most infamous image of the poet today while the subsequent sitting occurring just four days later captured Poe in what he deemed his very best likeness.

Both daguerreotypes are in this menu’s submenu with further details. Note that only those two images of Poe are noted here due to their association with him in Providence. To get a comprehensive history of all the known images of Poe, see Michael Deas’ 1989 publication, The Portraits and Daguerreotypes of Edgar Allan Poe.

During her lifetime, Sarah Helen Whitman had a number of interesting photos taken and artistic renderings completed of herself. All of her known images are documented in this menu’s submenu in chronological order (to the best of my ability, since a number of her photos are undated).