SUMMARY
The oldest surviving American photograph, taken in Philadelphia in 1839, was created by Joseph Saxon using a cigar box with a crude lens. This daguerreotype, exposing for ten minutes, captured Central High School from a window. While Louis Daguerre had introduced the daguerreotype months earlier using a camera obscura, Saxon's method bypassed conventional cameras. Shortly after, Robert Cornelius took the first American portrait and self-portrait using a similar box setup.
TAKEAWAYS
Oldest American photograph dated to 1839, taken by Joseph Saxon.
Image captured Central High School using a cigar box with a crude lens.
Daguerreotype technology was new, introduced by Louis Daguerre months prior.
Robert Cornelius created the first American portrait and self-portrait later in 1839.