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Daguerreotypes

Gallery

  • Daguerreotypes: Abraham Lincoln

    1 of 8

    Abraham Lincoln, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing front. Nicholas H. Shepherd photographer, 1846 or 1847.

    Library of Congress
  • Daguerreotypes: Zachary Taylor and His Cabinet

    2 of 8

    Zachary Taylor and his cabinet, all seated except President Taylor. Produced by Mathew Brady's studio, 1849.

    Library of Congress
  • Daguerreotypes: Franklin Pierce

    3 of 8

    Franklin Pierce, head-and-shoulders portrait, three-quarters to the left. Produced by Mathew Brady's studio, between 1851 and 1860.

    Library of Congress
  • Daguerreotypes: Andrew Jackson

    4 of 8

    Andrew Jackson, head-and-shoulders portrait, nearly in profile to left, leaning against pillow of which ticking appears in lower left corner. Copy daguerreotype produced by Mathew Brady's studio, original possibly by Edward Anthony, between 1844 and 1845.

    Library of Congress
  • Daguerreotypes: Dolley Madison

    5 of 8

    Dolley Madison, three-quarter length portrait of a woman, facing front, seated. Produced by Mathew Brady's studio, 1848.

    Library of Congress
  • Daguerreotypes: Mary Todd Lincoln

    6 of 8

    Mary Todd Lincoln, three-quarter length portrait of a woman, seated, facing front Photographer possibly Nicholas H. Shepherd, 1846 or 1847

    Library of Congress
  • Daguerreotypes: James Knox Polk

    7 of 8

    James Knox Polk, three-quarter length portrait, three-quarters to the right, seated. Produced by Mathew Brady's studio, February 14, 1849.

    Library of Congress
  • Daguerreotypes: Zachary Taylor

    8 of 8

    Zachary Taylor, half-length portrait, head in profile to the right. Produced by Mathew Brady's studio, between 1844 and 1849.

    Library of Congress

About this Gallery

French photographer Louis-Jacques-Mand Daguerre invented the first commercial photographic process known as the Daguerreotype, in 1839. The process involved a plate of polished copper with a coating of light sensitive silver-halide. Once exposed, the latent image on the copper plate was developed using open flame and liquid Mercury. Daguerre published a precise description of this process titled, Histoire ET description du procede nomme le Daguerreotype, allowing anyone who purchased the booklet to make their own daguerreotypes.

American Photographers such as Mathew Brady marveled at this process, with its ability to capture a "truthful likeness." Brady, a famous American daguerreotype photographer created a gallery of images, ranging from presidents to the common man. This remarkable series of early presidential and first ladies photographic portraits reproduced on this page are public domain images from a daguerreotype collection in the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

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