Robert Cornelius

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Self-portrait by Robert Cornelius. On the back it says, "The first photograph ever taken."

Robert Cornelius (born March 1, 1809 in Philadelphia PA , † August 10, 1893 in Frankford (Philadelphia) PA) was one of the American pioneers of photography .

As the child of a Dutch immigrant , Robert Cornelius attended a private school. He developed a particular interest in chemistry . In 1831 he began working for his father, specializing in silver plating and metal polishing. He became so famous for his work that Cornelius was soon commissioned by Joseph Saxton to make a silver plate for his Central High School daguerreotype in Philadelphia . It was at this meeting that Cornelius became interested in photography.

With his own chemical and metallurgical knowledge and with the help of the chemist Paul Beck Goddard , Cornelius tried to perfect the daguerreotype. Around October 1839, he photographed himself outside of his family's business. The daguerreotype produced in this way shows a man not standing in the middle with folded arms and tousled hair. This self-portrait is the first ever photograph of a person in America.

Cornelius ran two of the first photography studios in the United States between 1839 and 1843. As the popularity of photography grew and more and more photographers opened photo studios, Cornelius lost interest or saw that he could make more money in his family's gas and lighting business.

In 1862 he was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society .

literature

  • Carol Johnson: Cornelius, Robert (1809-1893). Pioneer daguerreotypist and businessman. In: John Hannavy (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography. Volume 1: A-I, index. Routledge, New York NY et al. 2008, ISBN 978-0-415-97235-2 , pp. 338-340.

Web links

Commons : Robert Cornelius  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Member History: Robert Cornelius. American Philosophical Society, accessed June 28, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Cornelius, Robert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American pioneer of photography
DATE OF BIRTH March 1, 1809
PLACE OF BIRTH Philadelphia PA
DATE OF DEATH August 10, 1893
Place of death Frankford (Philadelphia) PA