Alvin Langdon Coburn

While Samuel Clemons, better known as Mark Twain, is often associated with his trademark white suit, he did not adopt that style until late 1906. Clemons grappled with the confines of the socially prescribed male silhouette of the black suit, writing: "A group of men in evening clothes looks like a flock of crows, and is just about as inspiring." A. L. Coburn's 1908 photograph-like this custom shirt, made for Clemons in Florence, Italy, just before his wife, Livy, passed away there-hauntingly captures Twain's persona. One of numerous shots in the series, this particular print was praised by Clemons as "the best yet."