Conceptual Portraiture: Early Portrait Photographers

In 1839 Robert Cornelius took a daguerreotype photograph of himself and was credited for taking the first portrait of a person. 

Although in 1840 John William Draper was credited for taking a clear picture of a person's face. 

The person in the picture is his sister. 

Napoleon Sarony was born in 1821 in Canada but then moved to New York in 1836. He became an apprentice to his brother Oliver a photographer in 1864. But in 1866 Napoleon moved to New York and opened up his own photography studio on Broadway. During his photography years he photographed many people but he specialised with actresses and actors. 

Joseph Jefferson 1869

Cora Adriana 1870 

Adelaide Neilson 1870 

Oscar Wilde 1892

Oscar Wilde 1892

Wilkie Collins 1873

Sarah Bernhardt 1891

As photographers paid to photograph the famous people it was said that Napoleon paid $1,500 for actress Sarah Bernhardt to pose for him which would be more than $20,000 in today's value. 

Napoleon Sarony was best known for the poses and facial expression his sitters produced on camera. 

George Washington Wilson was born in 1823 in north east Scotland. In 1840 George trained as a portrait miniaturist which then led to in 1850 he went to Aberdeen and became and artist and a photographer. Just after 4 years he photographed the Royal Family and then was appointed the Scotland Royal's photographer. 

Queen Victoria, Prince Arthur, Princess Beatrice 1876

Queen Victoria on ‘Fyvie’ with John Brown at Balmoral 1863

Mrs Donald Stewart & children 1861

 His Family 1861

These are some more of his portraits with his trademark. 

His business became very successful that in 1862 his work won prizes at the Great London International Exhibition and then in 1880 his company that he founded became the largest and best known in Scotland.