Archive Edition
John Plumbe Jr. is being recognized for his pioneering work in photographic branding and for capturing the earliest known photograph of a sitting US president, James K. Polk, in 1846. His commercial practices laid groundwork for modern photography studios. Readers should watch for further historical deep dives into early photographic innovators.
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John Plumbe Jr., a Welsh immigrant and former civil engineer, became a prominent photographer in the 1840s, establishing over a dozen studios across the US and earning the nickname "the American Daguerre." In 1846, he...