7 Comments

The first known photograph of a person was taken in 1853 according to Wikipedia. Mrs. Howe's photograph had to be a close second. Is there date for this photograph?

Expand full comment

Sadly no date for this photo, however I would dispute earliest photo - [ https://news.artnet.com/art-world/oldest-photograph-of-a-human-is-back-in-the-spotlight-159766

Expand full comment

My comment was semiserious. Anyone who had a portrait photo taken before 1853 must have been a significant person. So why was Mrs. Emerson Howe's featured?

Expand full comment

Probably had money. What I most admired about the photographs of Leon R. Willard was that he had photos of "regular" folks.

Expand full comment

Curious to know more about Mrs Howe. Her maiden name was Sarah Adams Rand and she died in 1853 at age 37 after giving birth to her second child.

Expand full comment

One of my favorite professors at the UVM College of Medicine in 1967 was George Howe. He moved on to UMass in the 70s. His ancestors came from Ipswich, Mass.

Expand full comment