The Museum CollectionPhotograph of Ruined Traylor Daguerreotype of Poe
Traylor Daguerreotype in Ruined State
Verso
The back of the mount bears an inscription by Robert Traylor's daughter which reads, "Traylor daguerreotype of Poe Ruined by Stone + Kimball when they made reproduction from it for Stedman Woodberry "Works of Poe"-used in vol/ Mr. Traylor got it from descendants of Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton to whom Poe is supposed to have given it. Mr. T loaned it to the Publishers and was terrible [sic] distressed when it was returned to him in condition shown by this photograph./ given by Mary Traylor daughter of Robert Lee Traylor"
Photograph Mounted
The photograph is mounted on card with the name of Richmond photographer W.W. Foster (1876-1935) at the bottom edge.
Lithograph of Traylor Daguerreotype before Ruin
This lithograph was produced by Stone and Kimball for Volume III of Stedman's Works of Poe in 1894. While the daguerreotype was in their possession, it was ruined, presumably during an attempt to clean the plate.
Description: This is a copy of the last known photograph taken of Poe, the lost "Traylor" daguerreotype taken by William Abbott Pratt in Richmond in September 1849 at the same sitting as the well-known "Thompson" daguerreotype. Comparison of the two daguerreotypes reveals that, between the taking of the "Thompson" and the "Traylor," Poe tucked in his shirt, straightened his vest, and brushed the hair from his forehead, given him a neater appearance than in the first image.Poe's last fiancee, Elmira Royster Shelton, acquired the original daguerreotype from Pratt, and Poe collector Robert Lee Traylor acquired it from her descendants. The plate was ruined in 1894 when he loaned it to the publishers Stone and Kimball for reproduction. A photograph of the ruined plate was published in The Independent in 1904. The whereabouts of the plate after Traylor's death in 1907 are unknown. His daughter, Mary Traylor, donated this photograph of the daguerreotype, produced by Richmond photographer W.W. Foster (1876-1935), to the Poe Museum. Search CollectionCategories
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