Friday, May 15, 2026

Engraving of a Lost Photo of Governor Jonathan Trumbull's Tomb in Lebanon, Connecticut (1859)


Engraving of a lost photo of Governor Jonathan Trumbull's tomb in Lebanon, Connecticut, 1859. Trumbull had served as governor of Connecticut during most of the American Revolutionary War. The engraving was originally published in the April 30, 1859 issue of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. The original photo is attributed to photographer Henry Lord Gay, which might be the same person as the later notable architect. Gay seems to have been living in Connecticut in 1859, but he would have only been around 15 years old when the photo was taken.

Source: Internet Archive.

Henry Lord Gay's Findagrave entry.

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Engraving of a Lost Daguerreotype Photo of Empress of Haiti Adélina Lévêque (1850's)


Engraving of a lost daguerreotype portrait of Empress of Haiti Adélina Lévêque, c. 1850s. The daguerreotype was taken by the New York City photography firm Meade brothers. The engraving was originally published in the February 12, 1859 issue of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. There appears to be no known surviving original photos of Lévêque.

Source: Internet Archive.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Engraving of a Lost Daguerreotype Photo of Emperor of Haiti Faustin Soulouque (1850's)


Engraving of a lost daguerreotype portrait of Emperor of Haiti Faustin Soulouque, c. 1850s. The daguerreotype was taken by the New York City photography firm Meade brothers. The engraving was originally published in the February 12, 1859 issue of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. There appears to be no known surviving photos of Soulouque.

Source: Internet Archive.

Friday, May 8, 2026

Photo of a Lost Battle of Lookout Mountain Painting by English Artist James Walker Featuring One of Mathew Brady's Photography Studio Skylights in the Background (1860's)


Photo of a Battle of Lookout Mountain painting by English artist James Walker, c. 1864-1880. The skylight of one of Mathew Brady's studio, probably the one in Washington, D.C., is visible in the background at right. Multiple versions of this painting, all possibly titled "The Battle Above the Clouds", were created by Walker and I am unable to find this particular version of the painting in any collection today. Union general Joseph Hooker is said to be riding the rearing white horse at center left. This flipped and inverted glass negative photo is attributed to Mathew Brady.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration.

More information at Shades of Gray and Blue.

Friday, April 10, 2026

Daguerreotype Photo of a Group Posing in Front of a Building Containing J. H. Phillips' Photograph Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri (1865)


Daguerreotype of a group posing in front of a building containing J. H. Phillips' Photograph Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri, 1865. A display case of sample photos is visible at bottom right in front of the staircase and probably J. H. Phillips himself is posing in the second floor window of the gallery (which he had recently purchased). The photo is said to be a copy photo of a daguerreotype which was probably originally taken by Thomas Easterly. Easterly is the last known American daguerrean-era photographer to continue taking daguerreotypes into the 1870s.
 

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Early Photo of Buildings in Elmira, New York (1856)

 

"Elmira, N.Y., from Haight's Hotel." Early photo of buildings in Elmira, New York, c. 1856. Taken by photographer Frederick Langenheim and originally published as a stereoscopic photo in an album.

Source: Library of Congress.

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Early Daguerreotype Photo of a Street on a Market Day in Baltimore, Maryland (1840's)

 

Early daguerreotype photo of a street on a market day in Baltimore, Maryland, c. 1840-1844. A number of market day vendors are visible on the left hand side of the street. Taken by photographer Henry Fitz, Jr.

Source: American History Museum.

Friday, March 13, 2026

Photo of Union Soldiers of the 7th New York State Militia Regiment Posing in Front of a Building During the American Civil War (1860's)

 

Photo of Union soldiers of the 7th New York State Militia Regiment posing in front of a building during the American Civil War, location unknown, c. 1861-1863. Two black civilians and another soldier can be seen peering out of windows/doors on the first floor of the building.

Source: J. Paul Getty Museum.

Friday, February 20, 2026

Hand-Colored Photo of Two Cobblers Posing With Tools in a Mockup of a Boot Store Called the J. Brinton Book Maker (1860)

 

Hand-colored photo of two cobblers posing with tools in a mockup of a boot store called the J. Brinton Book Maker, c. 1860. Originally published as a stereoview and probably produced by a British photography company.

Source: Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site.

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Photo of a Crowd Watching a Parade on a Street in Carthage, Missouri (1870's)


"Public square, north side." Photo of a crowd probably watching a parade go by on a street in Carthage, Missouri, c. 1870s. Tracking down the location of the J. M. Whitsett Dry Goods store was how I was able to identify where this was taken.

Source: Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site.