Walt Whitman cigar label collection

The primary focus of the collection is the commercialization of Whitman’s name, image, and body of works in memorabilia, ephemeral material, commercial products, fine art, and digital format. My reason for this madness is to enrich my knowledge of the past, preserve this aspect of collecting for future generations, and acquaint myself with the phenomenon of Whitman’s popularity. I stress that my intention is not to make a critical appraisal of his writing, but rather to generate curiosity among those not familiar with Whitman’s work, hoping it would spark an interest in familiarizing themselves with his poetry and fascinating life.

This fascination humbly began while I was researching material for an article about American poets on stamps. To my astonishment along the way I learned that the Walt Whitman House in Camden, New Jersey, was only several miles from where I lived as a teenager. I soon discovered that Walt has been depicted on advertising for cigars (ironically he never smoked), coffee, beer (he also never drank), insurance, and the list goes on and on! There are also places named after him—the Walt Whitman bridge, high schools, a shopping mall, parks, apartment building, bookstores, just to name a few.