#8: The Oldest Known Photo of a U.S. President
Around the time that the future President Lincoln was sitting for his 1846 portrait, another U.S. president was making history. President John Quincy Adams has the honor of being the first known U.S. President to have his photograph taken. This portrait was taken around 1843, many years after President Adams’ tenure. However, it’s the oldest-known portrait of a U.S. President, past or present.
In March 1843, former President Adams sat for a portrait session at a studio called Haas’ Washington, D.C. The daguerreotype photograph was a new technology at the time, so this portrait is extremely significant. John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, making him the last president with a direct tie to the Founding Fathers, according to Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet. It’s pretty amazing to see a real-life image of someone with direct ties to early United States history.