Ultimate World's Oldest Photographs, Part 2 : 1839 - 1841

A collection of 40 more early photographs, many rarely seen, from the pioneering days of the medium. Included are many views of famous cities in Europe and America in their earliest photographs.

[@Liz66bee]

Thank you so much for this video, incredible to see people from nearly 200 years ago, especially in part one when we were still technically living in the Georgian age! I remember my old art teacher telling us that Holbein used a primitive camera obscura, tracing his sketches from the projected image onto paper, one reason his portraits actually look like the earliest 'photographs' when you study them.

[@johnhopper8350]

Great to see some more unusual ones not in other videos

[@hansvandijk1487]

Beautiful, just beautiful! Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱.

[@RRaquello]

It's interesting how quickly photography spread once it got started. Have recently been reading a book by a guy who went out to California in the gold rush of 1849, and before leaving home he had his picture taken at a Daguerreotype parlor in his home town (which was in Western NY State) to leave with his wife. So photography was already an established business in the wilds of the then still very wild United States ten years from the time of some of these earliest photographs.

[@cougarhunter33]

Very interesting. I have a book mentioning a relative of mine being a contemporary of Draper. This book noted that he had built a working Daguerreotype around November 1839. It was also noted that he probably took the first photographs west of New York. Unfortunately, the only early pictures that survive date from 1843.

[@aughjaiuruskk]

Harrison's good resolution photo is a masterpiece

[@atomlightstone]

Maybe a part 3 about color photography? Just an idea.

[@chronokev76]

great video, thanks.

[@travellingonuptozion5658]

Thanks again for sharing your story

[@szymonpietrzak7777]

Crazy to realize that grandparents of some of these people were born in the 17th century

[@janskorpil8831]

Super

[@spmoran4703]

These are good photos considering the difficulty the photographers had with the big clumsy camera of the time.

[@GTADonut]

why are these pictures such a mindfuck

[@BamberdittoPingpong]

Very nice! Interesting to see how the world was then. Does anyone know where I can find more photographs of early Victorian London if there is any? I can't seem to find much photos.

[@willyiscool5402]

Norge Noreg Norway check Victorian photo or even type in creepy Victorian photos if you want to creepy and there it will poop out!

[@TheWesty615]

Ok, long posting: first of all, thank you for presenting a lot of images that I've never seen. That 1839-41 period is of great interest to me! Next, that Harrison daguerreotype @6:57 is of a painting, I believe. I have seen references to a daguerreotype having been taken of President William Henry Harrison in 1841, specifically on his Inauguration Day (March 4th), and in the Capitol building. My question(s): haven't we all read that the weather was rather overcast/rainy/windy/unpleasant, thus leading to his "catching cold?" Wasn't lots of sunlight necessary for early daguerreotypes? Thus, could the photo have been taken indoors in inclement weather? I'm certainly willing to be corrected about this. Perhaps, if this photo was even taken, that's why it wasn't preserved? I'd love to see one of him, just as much as I'd love the lost daguerreotype of Dickens taken circa 1841 to be found, but I'm not sure I buy the circumstances under which the lost Harrison daguerreotype was taken.

[@JimPigProductions]

I'm glad you liked the video. As far as the Harrison Daguerreotype, I've read that it was taken on his inauguration day BEFORE his decision to speak for hours in freezing weather. It was likely taken indoors in a room with available sunlight thru a ceiling window or with mirrors reflecting the light on Harrison's face. Exposure time was about 25 seconds in March 1841. Wikipedia cites that the photo is actually an 1850 copy of the lost original 1841 daguerreotype, and is not a painting. If the existing image was a painting instead of a daguerreotype, it would have been unusual for his inauguration portrait to have been painted in black-and-white.

[@TheWesty615]

@@JimPigProductions I appreciated your kind and detailed comment. I have asked the same in a less wordy manner on other sites and never received a reply. I was not aware that the exposure time was less than thirty seconds by that point! Looking at the photo again, I can see that it differs from a painting. It certainly isn't as flattering (to his face) as a painting would be, and the one you posted is the original, and not the usual "cleaned up" version (as on wikipedia) which makes it look more like a painting (to me, anyway). Mission accomplished! It reminds me of the image that c. 1843 daguerreotype of Poe without the moustache (now missing since 1905). You can tell it's a photo, but it's just not the original itself, if that makes sense. Anyway, thanks once again; I actually feel a little better knowing that the one-month President has a faithful likeness from so early on the photography process! I'm such a history nerd; that probably makes no sense, but I do have an intense interest in that time period. :)

[@JimPigProductions]

@@TheWesty615 I agree about both the Harrison photo and that particular Poe photo you mentioned -- they both seem more surreal than photo-lifelike … but like you have correctly noticed, it's distortions may have been due to the copy process.

[@Lardenoy]

Magnifique ! Pour info la vue du Louvre, avec la statue d'Henri IV (et non Henri V !) , prise du Pont-Neuf est inversée : les bâtiments du Louvre se trouvent à droite dans la réalité. Cette vue était un "classique" pour les peintres et graveurs des 17 et 18 ème s. Samuel Hahnemann, né la même année que Marie-Antoinette, un an d'écart avec Mozart !!! La fille de Louis XVI et de Marie-Antoinette ("Madame Royale", née Marie-Thérése de France) est décédée en 1851 mais aucun daguerréotype connu à ce jour la représentant contrairement au roi Louis-Philippe ou à la Duchesse de Berry...

[@philippegohier6992]

Didnt know vince mcmahon was that old ! 4:24

[@smug8567]

Further down the old abandoned road there were some more buildings, including one that housed four or five large metal tanks. Were these fuel tanks at one time, or perhaps something more sinister.....like toxic mutant waste?

[@JimPigProductions]

Researchers say they are close to a breakthru on this topic, and have hinted at some surprising discoveries.

[@NeTxGrl]

Samuel Hanhnemann was born was born 267 years ago.

[@ImmClau]

Heyy thanks,i didn't know the first photo taken in my country was from 1840

[@garyruark9506]

New York in 1839 was not a large city. Philadelphia was bigger. I think I saw Biden in that Wilmington, DE photo!!!

[@petehutchins7062]

*Niagara

[@douglasdareallen6518]

First woman. 1840