Ellen Eyre and Walt Whitman: The Blackmailer's Story, 1862, by Jonathan Ned Katz

Ellen Eyre's attempt to entice nineteenth-century writer Walt Whitman into a rendezvous in New York has received significant attention. Here is the fullest account yet of the extraordinary blackmailer, based on a careful survey of newspaper reports and scholarly responses. This exhibit was produced with the research assistance of Tyler Albertario. Published originally on OutHistory in October 2026.