Robert Cornelius (1809-1899)
Among the first practitioners of daguerreotypy in America, Robert Cornelius is credited with taking the first true photographic portrait in America – a self-portrait.
Cornelius was a pricipal in the family lighting fixtures business in Philadelphia and had an extensive background in metal plating techniques. In October, 1839, Cornelius began to experiment with daguerreotype plates, and in early of December of the same year, he combined talents with Dr. Paul Beck Goddard, a respected chemist. Goddard applied his knowledge of chemistry and introduced bromine in addition to iodine sensitizing daguerreotype plates, thus making faster exposurers possible.
By May 6, 1840, Cornelius and Goddard had established a daguerreian studio at the corner of 8th Street and Lodge Alley in downtown Philadelphia, among the first in the United States. In June of 1841 Cornelius opened a new studio at 278 Market Street; how long this studio remained open is not known, but it likely was not in business after 1842 when Cornelius returned to his lighting manufactory due to increased demand for his products.
Cornelius retained his interest in photography, taking sporadic daguerreotypes as late as 1847 as a non-professional. Although short-lived, Robert Cornelius’s photographic career was of significance to the medium and its growth and development in America.
For further information, consult “Robert Cornelius, Portraits from the Dawn of Photography” by William F. Stapp and published for the National Portrait Gallery by the Smithsonian Institution Press in 1983.