“Pins of Myself”: Library of Congress Launches Walt Whitman Pinterest Board

Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819. Although From the Catbird Seat just highlighted a “lost” Whitman poem recently discovered at the Library, we decided that Whitman’s multitudes should not be contained by a single post, or even two posts, in the lead-up to his birthday. The best way to honor Whitman, we thought, was to inspire you, à la Whitman, to lean and loafe at your ease. Which is why we’re pleased to announce the launch of our new Walt Whitman Pinterest board.

The board, which went live this afternoon, includes a sampling of Whitman-related materials available on the Library’s website, including photographs (of Whitman, his family and friends, and sites such as the Armory Square Hospital with which he is associated); poems, notebooks, and letters written by and to Whitman; and images of fascinating Whitman items held by the Library, such as Whitman’s writing pen and a lock of his hair. We’ll be adding to the board throughout the month, so be sure to follow it to see our latest pins.

The Library is home to largest archive of Walt Whitman materials in the world, and many of the pins come from online selections from our major Whitman collections, including our Manuscript Division’s Feinberg-Whitman Collection,  Thomas Biggs Harned Collection, and Walt Whitman Papers, 1837-1957.

If browsing our pins isn’t enough loafing for you, we’ve compiled a detailed guide to Whitman resources on our site, and elsewhere on the Web, which we hope is a sufficient excuse to lean back and celebrate yourself.

If you have any question about the Library’s Walt Whitman collections, please feel free to contact the Poetry and Literature Center and we’ll be sure to pass your query along to the appropriate area of the Library.