James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States, was the first sitting president to be photographed with surviving images.[1][a]

The daguerreotypes process was the primary form of photography through the 1840s, as Polk sat for Mathew Brady,John Plumbe, George Healy, Abel Shank among others.[2]

Of the confirmed daguerreotypes of Polk, there are four known physical original daguerreotypes, three copies, with one disputed amongst historians.

Known original daguerreotypes

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Of the 7 confirmed daguerreotypes of James K. Polk there are four known originals.

Portrait Photographer Date Current Location Notes
  Attributed to

John Plumbe

1846-1848 President James K. Polk Home & Museum
  Attributed to

John Plumbe

1846 President James K. Polk Home & Museum Though this daguerreotypes is often consider a work by John Plumbe, Polk writes in his dairy about sitting for a daguerreotype with his cabinet for Healy also in 1846.
  Attributed to

John Plumbe

1845-1846 George Eastman Museum
  Attributed to

Mathew Brady

1849 Library of Congress

Period copies

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Though the original daguerreotypes have been lost over time, surviving copies of original daguerreotypes have survived.

Portrait Photographer Date Current Location Notes
  Attributed to Mathew Brady 1848-1849 Nashville Public Library
  Attributed to

Mathew Brady

February 17th, 1849 Private Collection “The Cabinet met at the usual hour; all of the members present except the Secretary of War ... in consequence of indisposition. Before entering on any business the members of the Cabinet at my request accompanied me to the large dining room below stairs & set for their Daguerrotype likenesses. Mr. Brady, the artist, desired to take the Cabinet & myself in a group and did so.”[3]
  Unknown 1845-1849 Missouri Historical Society

Disputed

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One images suggested to be James K. Polk is debated amongst historians. The James K. Polk Project, President James K. Polk Home & Museum, nor the White House Historical Association believe it to be him, while American historians Amy Greenberg and William Polk do.

Portrait Photographer Date Current Location Notes
  Unknown Possibly 1849 Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Notes

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  1. ^ William Henry Harrison is believed to have sit for one on the day of his inauguration, though it has been lost over time.

References

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  1. ^ "National First Ladies Timeline". archive.firstladies.org. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  2. ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=yqK2iJaPYKkC&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=Abel+Shank+photographer&source=bl&ots=KoYLbElmWr&sig=ACfU3U03_qrfzGtjwi2zC1agsvZTNPADjA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiV4Lvvz_7lAhVLXKwKHXHeAIYQ6AEwAHoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=daguerreotype&f=false. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ https://www.whitehousehistory.org/a-dark-horse-in-sunlight-and-shadow. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)