Rare Edgar Allan Poe CDV After Brady Published By E. Anthony

Edgar Allan Poe
[New York, NY], n.d. but probably ca. 1860s

Rare Edgar Allan Poe CDV After Brady Published By E. Anthony
CDV

A rare carte de visite depicting Romantic poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) after Mathew Brady as published by Edward Anthony. N.d. but probably ca. 1860s. [New York, New York.] The sepia-colored albumen photograph is affixed to a cream-colored stock mount with cropped corners. It shows a bust portrait of Poe viewed through an oval-shaped trompe-l'oeil opening. Poe's facsimile signature as "Edgar A Poe" is found at the center near the bottom, and "Brady and "N.Y." are printed to the left and right underneath the opening. Lacking the typical copyright imprint at bottom. A backstamp is located verso: "Published By / E. Anthony, / 501 Broadway, / New York, / From / Photographic Negative, / From / Brady's National / Portrait Gallery." Expected surface wear including isolated fly-specks, scuffs, and foxing recto and verso; slightly unevenly trimmed along the bottom. Else near fine. 2.5" x 3.625".

University Archives has handled only two Edgar Allan Poe CDVs in our company's auction history (2016 to the time of this writing, in September 2026). We sold a copy with much duller tones that realized $4,375 including the buyer's premium in November 2017. We sold a possibly unique version of this Poe carte de visite - with an unusual red border, and an elaborate pictorial E. Anthony backstamp - for $20,000 including the buyer's premium in November 2025.

The original portrait photograph of Poe upon which the CDV is based is often referred to as the "Ultima Thule" portrait, alluding to a line from one of Poe's most eerie and despairing poems, "Dream-Land." The original photograph was taken by Edwin Hartwell Manchester (1820-1904) of Masury & Hartshorn Studio in Providence, Rhode Island on November 9, 1848. This photo session was only four days after Poe had attempted suicide by a laudanum overdose, and less than a year before his death under mysterious circumstances at age 40. The well-established New York-based photographer Mathew Brady (1822-1896) reproduced the Manchester portrait of Poe in the 1860s, but introduced a few notable differences in gaze, hair, and clothing; Brady later included the retouched version in his National Portrait Gallery series. Brady closely collaborated with fellow Manhattan photographer Edward Anthony (1819-1888), who published the CDV. This Manchester-Brady-Anthony version remains one of the only images ever taken of Poe - who died before the advent of mass-market commercial photography - and is certainly one of the most enduring.

Poe was still a controversial figure when Anthony's carte de visite appeared on the market. In the immediate aftermath of his death, Poe was widely seen as a degenerate madman whose unearthly prose was inspired by drug-induced hallucinations. Later, Poe's reputation would improve in direct correlation with an increased appreciation of his literary genius. The production of this CDV not only served to satisfy a growing Victorian appetite for collecting celebrity portraits, but also contributed to the emerging visual legacy of one of America's most enigmatic literary figures.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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