According to the book, Poe had entered Brady’s New York gallery with a friend (Ross Wallace, a poet) who wanted his picture taken. Brady had tried to get Poe to sit for a picture but Poe wanted nothing to do with it, even though he curiously watched the process.

Poe’s wife had died two years before and he was drinking heavily. Brady noticed, as you can sort of see in the photo, that his hair was messed up, his bowtie a mess, and his jacket very poor. Brady, as diplomatically as he could, assured Poe that the picture would be free, as he knew Poe was penniless. Well Brady and Wallace finally convinced Poe to have his picture taken.

He sat in front of the camera and didn’t fix his hair, his jacket or his bowtie. He just didn’t care. The picture was taken and he left the gallery. He died months later from grief and drinking himself to death. So in this particular photo, he was definitely miserable.

Though I’m looking at the photo in the book and comparing it to the one you have posted. He’s wearing the same jacket and tie, his hair is the same, the jacket has the same unbutton, and it’s almost an identical pose. It has to be the same sitting but it’s definitely a different shot, as his shadows are different and his face is slightly more depressed in yours. His hair is better in yours too. Also one of these two images is reversed, as the part in his hair is on the left side of the photo in the book. I don’t know which one is the real reversed negative.

Anyway, it’s a really interesting book. Some of the stories he shares about Lincoln getting his picture taken are cool too.