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Philadelphia Central High School for Boys and Pennsylvania State Arsenal daguerreotype, 1839

This 1839 daguerreotype by Joseph Saxton is the earliest surviving American photographic image.  Although described as "hardly more than a silhouette", architectural details of both buildings are evident, including shutters, window frames, and window panes.  Saxton, an employee o...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Saxton, Joseph (Creator)
Collection:Historical Society of Pennsylvania Treasures collection (#HSP Treasures)
Date:1839-09-25
Dimensions:5.8 x 4.3 cm
2 5/16 x 1 11/16 in
7.2 x 5.7 cm
2 3/4 x 2 7/32 in
Call Number:1839.1
Format: Electronic
Subjects and Genres:
Daguerreotype
Photography > United States > History
Copyright:Public domain
Online Access:https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/6257
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id dc-6257
recordtype Dc
hierarchy_top_id rs-4
hierarchy_top_title Digital Records
is_hierarchy_id 0
is_hierarchy_title 0
database_name_str_mv Digital Records
format Electronic
title Philadelphia Central High School for Boys and Pennsylvania State Arsenal daguerreotype, 1839
spellingShingle Philadelphia Central High School for Boys and Pennsylvania State Arsenal daguerreotype, 1839
Saxton, Joseph
Daguerreotype
Photography--United States--History
title_sort Philadelphia Central High School for Boys and Pennsylvania State Arsenal daguerreotype, 1839
title_txt_mv Philadelphia Central High School for Boys and Pennsylvania State Arsenal daguerreotype, 1839
date_txt_mv 1839-09-25
year_str_mv 1839
creator_txt_mv Saxton, Joseph (Creator)
author Saxton, Joseph
author_facet Saxton, Joseph
author_role Creator
author_sort Saxton, Joseph
genre Daguerreotype
dimensions_txt_mv 5.8 x 4.3 cm
2 5/16 x 1 11/16 in
7.2 x 5.7 cm
2 3/4 x 2 7/32 in
description This 1839 daguerreotype by Joseph Saxton is the earliest surviving American photographic image.&nbsp; Although described as &quot;hardly more than a silhouette&quot;, architectural details of both buildings are evident, including shutters, window frames, and window panes.&nbsp; Saxton, an employee of the United States Mint, made the image in Philadelphia on 16 October, 1839.&nbsp; The picture, showing the old arsenal and the cupola of the Philadelphia Central High School, was taken from a window of the Mint.<br /> Several images taken at different exposures are provided for comparison of image details.
subject_txt_mv LCSH: Daguerreotype
LCSH: Photography--United States--History
topic Daguerreotype
Photography--United States--History
copyright_txt_mv Public domain
rights_statement_txt_mv None
collection Historical Society of Pennsylvania Treasures collection
collection_number_str_mv HSP Treasures
callnumber-first 1839.1
callnumber-sort 1839.1
callnumber-raw 1839.1
callnumber-search 1839.1
url https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/6257
_version_ 1628355668848148480
score 13.071978

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