Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing [Robert Cornelius, self-portrait; believed to be the earliest extant American portrait photo]

[ digital file from original item ]

More Resources

[ digital file from color film copy transparency ]
[ digital file from color film copy slide ]
[ digital file from b&w film copy neg. ]

About this Item

Title

  • [Robert Cornelius, self-portrait; believed to be the earliest extant American portrait photo]

Summary

  • Robert Cornelius's daguerreotype self-portrait from October or November, 1839--the earliest extant American portrait photograph--is among the treasures of the Library of Congress's photographic collections. Made within just months of Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre's August 1839 announcement of his process to the world, the Cornelius photo showed that the new medium had the potential to record a human likeness, theretofore considered highly impractical due to the long exposure times required. Daguerre announced his invention of a photographic method to the French Academy of Sciences in August 1839. That October, a young Philadelphian, Robert Cornelius, working out of doors to take advantage of the light, made this head-and-shoulders self-portrait using a box fitted with a lens from an opera glass. In the portrait, Cornelius stands slightly off-center with hair askew, in the yard behind his family's lamp and chandelier store, peering uncertainly into the camera. Early daguerreotypy required a long exposure time, ranging from three to fifteen minutes, making the process nearly impractical for portraiture. (Source: "Photographic Material," by Carol Johnson. In Gathering History: the Marian S. Carson Collection of Americana, 1999, p. 100)

Names

  • Cornelius, Robert, 1809-1893, photographer

Created / Published

  • 1839 [Oct. or Nov.]

Headings

  • -  Cornelius, Robert,--1809-1893

Headings

  • Daguerreotypes--1830-1840.
  • Portrait photographs--1830-1840.
  • Self portraits--1830-1840.

Genre

  • Daguerreotypes--1830-1840
  • Portrait photographs--1830-1840
  • Self portraits--1830-1840

Notes

  • -  Title devised by Library staff.
  • -  Inscribed on paper backing: The first light picture ever taken. 1839.
  • -  Robert Cornelius: Portraits from the dawn of photography / Stapp. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1983, p. 50
  • -  Gift; Marian S. Carson; 1996; (DLC/PP-1996:086.3).
  • -  Forms part of: Daguerreotype collection (Library of Congress).
  • -  Forms part of: Marian S. Carson collection (Library of Congress).
  • -  Published in: Gathering history: the Marian S. Carson collection of Americana. Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, 1999, p. 100.
  • -  Published in: "Images of America" chapter of the ebook Great Photographs from the Library of Congress, 2013.
  • -  Published in: The Joy of Looking: Great Photographs from the Library of Congress, 2023.
  • -  Exhibited: American Treasures of the Library of Congress.
  • -  Exhibited as a digital copy in: "Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America's Library" at the Annenberg Space for Photography, 2018; Icons section.

Medium

  • 1 photograph : approximate quarter plate daguerreotype ; mount 37.6 x 29.1 cm, visible plate 9 x 6.9 cm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • DAG no. 1255 (Cabinet A)

Source Collection

  • Daguerreotype collection (Library of Congress)

Repository

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2004664436

Reproduction Number

  • LC-DIG-ppmsca-40464 (digital file from original item) LC-USZC4-5001 (color film copy transparency) LC-USZC2-4912 (color film copy slide) LC-USZ6-2174 (b&w film copy neg.)

Rights Advisory

  • No known restrictions on publication.

Access Advisory

  • Restricted access. Please use digital image or other reference copy. Original photograph is too fragile to serve.

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

The contents of the Library of Congress Daguerreotypes Collection are in the public domain and are free to use and reuse.

For information about reproducing, publishing, and citing material from this collection, as well as access to the original items, see: Daguerreotype Photograph Filing Series - Rights and Restrictions Information

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Daguerreotypes Collection.

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
  • Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-ppmsca-40464 (digital file from original item) LC-USZC4-5001 (color film copy transparency) LC-USZC2-4912 (color film copy slide) LC-USZ6-2174 (b&w film copy neg.)
  • Call Number: DAG no. 1255 (Cabinet A)
  • Access Advisory: Restricted access. Please use digital image or other reference copy. Original photograph is too fragile to serve.

Obtaining Copies

If an image is displaying, you can download it yourself. (Some images display only as thumbnails outside the Library of Congress because of rights considerations, but you have access to larger size images on site.)

Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.

  1. If a digital image is displaying: The qualities of the digital image partially depend on whether it was made from the original or an intermediate such as a copy negative or transparency. If the Reproduction Number field above includes a reproduction number that starts with LC-DIG..., then there is a digital image that was made directly from the original and is of sufficient resolution for most publication purposes.
  2. If there is information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can use the reproduction number to purchase a copy from Duplication Services. It will be made from the source listed in the parentheses after the number.

    If only black-and-white ("b&w") sources are listed and you desire a copy showing color or tint (assuming the original has any), you can generally purchase a quality copy of the original in color by citing the Call Number listed above and including the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

  3. If there is no information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can generally purchase a quality copy through Duplication Services. Cite the Call Number listed above and include the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

Price lists, contact information, and order forms are available on the Duplication Services Web site.

Access to Originals

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)

    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.
  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?

    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Cornelius, Robert, photographer. Robert Cornelius, self-portrait; believed to be the earliest extant American portrait photo. , 1839. [Oct. or Nov] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2004664436/.

APA citation style:

Cornelius, R., photographer. (1839) Robert Cornelius, self-portrait; believed to be the earliest extant American portrait photo. , 1839. [Oct. or Nov] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2004664436/.

MLA citation style:

Cornelius, Robert, photographer. Robert Cornelius, self-portrait; believed to be the earliest extant American portrait photo. [Oct. or Nov] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2004664436/>.