In October or November 1839, one Robert Cornelius, then 30 years old, set up his camera at the back of his father's shop in Philadelphia, removed the lens cap, ran into the frame and sat stock still for five minutes before running back and replacing the lens cap. In so doing, he had created what is believed to be the first photographic self-portrait.
Robert Cornelius (1809-1893) was born in Philadelphia to Christian and Sarah Cornelius. Cornelius' father was a Dutch immigrant and had been a silversmith before opening a lamp manufacturing company. After leaving school, Robert worked for his father specializing in silver plating and metal polishing. He made a silver daguerrotype plate for the photographer Joseph Saxton; this sparked his interest in the very new field of photography.
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