The origins of the American family photo are getting two whole Smithsonian exhibitions
Before digital cameras and smartphones, American families had to sit for daguerreotypes
Christmas cards are an annual tradition for many families in the U.S., and power couples who want to show off their relationship status only need to snap a selfie. But long before digital cameras and smartphones, American families had to sit for daguerreotypes, a type of early photo named for its inventor, French artist Louis Daguerre.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is set to open two new exhibitions on July 1 looking at early family photos from the 18th century: Family Ties: Daguerreotypes and Powerful Partnerships: Civil War-Era Couples.
Family Ties will feature more than a dozen family portraits, including nuclear families, brothers and sisters, men and their father-in-law, and uncles and their nieces and nephews, according to the Smithsonian.
Powerful Partnerships will cover five Civil War-era power couples:
Nathaniel Banks, a House speaker, and Mary Theodosia Palmer Banks
John Frémont, a governor of Arizona Territory and governor and U.S. Senator for California, and his wife, writer Jessie Ann Benton Frémont
President Ulysses S. Grant and first lady Julia Dent Grant
Union general George McClellan and his wife Mary Ellen Marcy McClellan
Charles Sherwood Stratton and Lavinia Warren Stratton, circus performers known for their small stature and by their stage names General Tom Thumb and Little Queen of Beauty
The prints on display for the Civil War power couple exhibition will be made from original negatives by famed American photographer Mathew Brady, who also photographed Abraham Lincoln and shaped a nation’s self perception.
Sitting for a daguerreotype took between three to 15 minutes when the technology was introduced in 1839, according to the Library of Congress, which may seem like a long time until you stop and consider how many selfies it takes until you’re finally satisfied with one to post. Exposure time was later cut down to less than a minute, but by the 1850s, the daguerreotype was replaced by an even quicker process.
Family Ties will be open through June 11, 2023, and Powerful Partnerships will be open through May 18, 2025.