William James portrait, early 1900s

What it is

This is a sepia-toned oval portrait photograph of William James, dated to the early 1900s. The image is held on Wikimedia Commons, where the caption gives his dates as January 11, 1842 to August 26, 1910. The photographer is listed as unknown.

The image shows a middle-aged man with short receding hair, a full beard and moustache, a dark suit jacket, a white collar, and a patterned tie, looking toward the viewer's left.

Why it matters

Photographs from the early 1900s helped build the public image of thinkers like James. This portrait shows how a respected professor of his era chose to present himself.

Because the photographer is unknown, students should consider how much a portrait can tell them about a person's character.

Look closer

• Why might the photograph have an oval shape and a sepia tone, and what effect does that have?
• What does James's direction of gaze and clothing suggest about the image he wanted to create?
• What does the photograph leave out about his ideas, or about who arranged the picture?