A 1839 daguerreotype self-portrait created by Robert Cornelius is widely recognized as the first intentional photographic portrait of a person in the United States. This experiment, requiring a pose lasting between ten and fifteen minutes, represented a significant milestone in the early history of photography and established a foundation for future portraiture techniques.
Early Career and Photography
Born in Philadelphia in 1809 to Christian and Sarah Cornelius, he began his professional life in his father's silver-plating and metal-polishing business in 1831. His interest in photography emerged in 1839 following a meeting with Joseph Saxton. By October of that year, Cornelius improvised a camera obscura to capture his self-portrait. Alongside chemist Paul Beck Goddard, he later refined the process by using bromine and blue glass filters to reduce exposure times to under one minute. In May 1840, he established the first photographic studio in Philadelphia, operating additional studios until 1842.
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Cornelius transitioned away from photography to focus on the family lighting business, Cornelius & Co., later known as Cornelius & Baker. In 1843, he secured a U.S. patent for a solar lamp. This invention modified a British design to improve airflow, allowing the device to burn lard, which was significantly more economical than the whale oil typically used at the time. His company also patented methods for lighting gas lamps using electric sparks and produced early kerosene lamps. These products were manufactured in two large Philadelphia factories and distributed across the United States and Europe.
Retirement and Later Years
Throughout his life, Cornelius maintained significant professional and social ties, including membership in the American Philosophical Society and fifty years of service as an elder at the Presbyterian Church. He married Harriet Comly in 1832, and together they had three sons and five daughters. After retiring from the family business in 1877, he moved to his country home in Frankford, Philadelphia. He died in Frankford on August 10, 1893, and was subsequently buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1809, Philadelphia
- Died: 1893, Frankford
- Occupation: Photographer and industrialist
- Citizenship: United States
- Notable Patent: Solar lamp, 1843
- Burial Place: Laurel Hill Cemetery
- Spouse: Harriet Comly
Questions readers ask
Did Robert Cornelius create the first photograph of a person?
His 1839 self-portrait is generally accepted as the first intentional photographic portrait of a person in the United States.
Why was the solar lamp significant?
Patented in 1843, the solar lamp allowed for the use of inexpensive lard as fuel instead of costly whale oil.
