If you’ve ever seen a photo of Emily Dickinson then you’ve seen the only known photo of Emily Dickinson. But now, thanks to a photo acquired by Amherst College in 2007, we might have another view of (arguably) the most important American poet. Taken in 1859, the photo depicts Dickinson (left) with her friend Kate Scott Turner, who is rumored to be Dickinson’s lover. From HuffPo:
There’s strong evidence it’s Dickinson, including comparisons of high-resolution digital images of the newer photo with the known image, from 1847, said Mike Kelly, head of the archive and special collections department at Amherst College.
Kelly said perhaps the best evidence is an ophthalmological report that compared similarities in the eyes and facial features of the women in the photos…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvDA3pNPfj0
For the full brief, check out the Amherst release which details the research that’s going in to confirming this photo’s authenticity. Included are fabric matching patterns and some biographical notes on ED and Turner.