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Secondary sourcePainting1909

Thomas Robert Malthus, Portrait in Popular Science Monthly

1909

A later engraved portrait of Malthus printed in a 1909 science magazine.

A later reproduced portrait of Malthus, showing his continued fame decades after his death.

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Black and white engraved portrait of a middle-aged man with short wavy hair, wearing a dark wrap-style coat with a high collar over a white shirt and cravat, against a plain pale background.
Thomas Robert Malthus, portrait published in Popular Science Monthly, 1909.

About this source

What it is

This engraved portrait of Thomas Robert Malthus appeared in the magazine Popular Science Monthly in 1909, long after his death. It shows a middle-aged man with wavy hair wearing a dark wrap-style coat and cravat.

Why it matters

By 1909, Malthus's ideas about population and resources were still being discussed in popular science writing, decades after his death. This image shows how his face and reputation continued to circulate in print long after the original portraits were made.

Look closer

  • How might a portrait made 75 years after someone's death differ from one made during their life?
  • Why would a science magazine include a portrait alongside discussion of Malthus's ideas?
  • What does the reuse of old portrait styles tell you about how images get copied over time?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Malthus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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