A Glimpse into the Past

Were any of the Founding Fathers photographed in their old age? Who was the first U.S. President of whom a photographic portrait was made? I thought these questions to myself the other night and my search did not come up disappointing.

About up until the 1840s, photography was not a feasible hobby or a profitable occupation. It must be known that very few photographs from before 1839 exist.

None of the signers of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 nor the delegates to the 1787 Federal Convention were alive in the 1840s. In fact, the oldest living of the bunch was James Madison who died at the age of 85 in 1836.

My search did yield some interesting first presidential photographs though, including John Quincy Adams. Though not a Founding Father, JQA was the first non-sitting president to be photographed. This daguerreotype is from 1843. 














This one is of William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States. This was done two years earlier than John Quincy's, in 1841. It also was the first capture of a sitting President in U.S. history.

 Andrew Jackson in 1845.

Above is Martin van Buren in 1855.

To the left is a portrait of Lincoln. Although the color added to this is obviously the result of a computer enhancement, it still is very cool.