Young Edgar Allan Poe (portrait by Thomas B. Welch)

What it is

This is a black and white engraved portrait of a young man with wavy dark hair and a slight smile. He wears a dark coat, a light waistcoat and a dark cravat tied at the throat, and is shown from the head and upper body against a pale background. The portrait was made by Thomas B. Welch and is dated February 1845. It is a likeness of Poe made while he was still alive.

Why it matters

Portraits made in a person's lifetime help historians picture how they presented themselves to the public. This engraving dates from the period when Poe was publishing his best-known work and building his reputation. Because it was made by an artist who worked from life in the same years, it gives students a sense of the man's appearance in his own time.

Look closer

• What mood or character does the engraver suggest through the pose, the smile and the clothing?
• Why might a portrait of a writer have been produced and circulated in 1845?
• What can an engraving show about appearance, and what can it not show about a person's personality?