This public domain image is of William Douglas O’Connor (1832-1889), whom I have called ‘The Poet’ more out of respect for the poetical character of his life, than for his published poems, which were few. In fact, O’Connor experimented with various artistic pursuits including as a daguerreotypist, poet, short-story writer, novelist, essayist, journalist, and editor. But as his 30th birthday approached, he settled down to a government job in the U.S. Treasury Department. It is not so much for his own creative works that O’Connor is remembered, but for his staunch support of Walt Whitman when Whitman was fired from his government job (that O’Connor had helped him get) for writing his controversial Leaves of Grass. O’Connor gave Whitman the label “Good Gray Poet” and defended his work in letters and action — yet the two ended up estranged over differences in political beliefs.This carte-de-visite portrait bears the imprint of Ritz and Hastings of Boston. The Library of Congress assigned it a date estimate between 1870 and 1889, but we can narrow that a bit further. Ernest Ferdinand Ritz (ca 1848-1890) worked for A N Hardy in Boston from about 1870 until 1875-77, when he left to open a studio in partnership with George H Hastings. Ritz and Hastings went their separate ways on January 1st 1885, each retaining one of the two studios they had. So this image dates in the 1875-1884 range for certain. O’Connor would have been 43 in 1875 and 52 in 1884, so looking at the photo I’d think this was most likely taken nearer the end of that range than the beginning. White hair on an Irishman is no great indicator of age, but it also appears to be receding, and he looks older around the eyes than one would expect were he just 43.