A postcard with a photograph of Dorothy Catherine Draper.
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Acquired from the Academy of Medicine; source unknown.
Inscriptions
"The first photo portrait ever made in America was made by Dr. John W. Draper in 1840. Exposure in sunlight 15 minutes. My uncle Dr. N.W. Powell was his student in 1851. See attached certificate. N.A.P."
Permanent Location
Storage Room 2005
2005-1-2 Box A
Length
13.0 cm
Width
7.7 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Dimension Notes
Length 13.0 cm x Width 7.7 cm
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Other
Website
Reference Comments
Previous #AM 605; 84.6.118
"Portrait of Dorothy Catherine Draper," Smithsonian, National Museum of American History, https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_834690
Research Facts
There was no attached certificate. This picture is believed to be a copy of the first photographic portrait ever made in the United States, taken by Dr. John W. Draper, the brother of the subject, in 1839 or 1840.