"Illustrious Americans"

Mathew Brady (ca. 1823-1896) Studio
Tom Thumb (1838-1883)
Gold-toned, half-plate daguerreotype,
between 1844 and 1860
Prints & Photographs Division (118.7)
[digital ID3 cph3c09908]
U.S. War College transfer, 1920

Americans were fascinated with the invention of the daguerreotype, which allowed the middle class to obtain affordable portraits. Mathew Brady and other notable photographers exhibited portraits of "Illustrious Americans" on their gallery walls, like those of entertainers Tom Thumb and Jenny Lind--both made world famous by impresario P.T. Barnum. Operators, most notably Brady, set up well-appointed displays in their daguerrian studios, much like paintings in an art gallery. Once inside the studio, visitors were thrilled that they, too, could be pictured in a shiny, silver likeness.

Jenny Lind (1820-1887)
Gold-toned whole plate daguerreotype,
between 1844 and 1860
Prints & Photographs Division (120.4)
[digital ID# cph3g06777]
U.S. War College transfer, 1920