This may be the oldest surviving photo of a human.

a reply to: CraftBuilder

That is the coolest pic EVER! Had NO idea digital photography was that old! Thank you for posting!

im a professional photographer and i can say that with an exposure time of 7 mins nothing moving would show up on the photograph. Unless that person didnt move at all which is unlikely.

At longer exposures (5 to 10 minutes or more), moving objects will vanish entirely. You can use long exposures such as this to create the illusion of empty streets and sidewalks in tourist-infested areas. - See more at: www.digital-photo-secrets.com...

What an amazing picture. Looking at these old photographs is not just like looking back in time, it is looking back in time. So many native tribes from around the world have been recorded as to have refused photographs because they believed a photo captured a part of your soul. You know in a way to me it seems it does. Pictures like these are astonishing, hauntingly beautiful, and such valuable records of our past. Thank you for sharing this.

a reply to: DjembeJedi

Wow, that is amazing, 1838. Wow!

Rebel 5

originally posted by: DjembeJedi
Updated to this Thread..Here is the first portrait of a person and its a "SELFIE"!

Generally accepted as the earliest surviving photographic portrait image of a human ever produced is the approximately quarter plate daguerreotype by Robert Cornelius [1809–93], a head-and-shoulders [self-]portrait, facing front, with arms crossed, dating from 1839 [Oct. or Nov.]. [LC-USZC4-5001 DLC]. Written on the paper backing is "The first light picture ever taken. 1839." The photograph, now at the Library of Congress in Washington DC, was taken outside his place of business on 8th Street between Market and Chestnut, in Philadelphia.

Robert Cornelius looks a lot like Bruce Campbell.

Interesting stuff.

a reply to: polarboarder1

You're very welcome.

a reply to: DjembeJedi
I just love old photographs like the ones you posted on this fantastic thread. Here is a good site with thousands and thousands of them and I am not exaggerating at all.

www.shorpy.com...

They post anywhere from three to eight new photos every day......When I first discovered this site about 2 years ago it took me ages to view them all and read the comments.

Thanks OP for the great Historical photographs.
S&F
Regards, Iwinder

First lolcats pictures. Or so this site claims they were taken around 1914.
lolcats link

I like the historical photos. I could've swore though that the photograph was invented in the 1850s. Guess I should brush up on my photo history.

originally posted by: DjembeJedi

This photograph looks much clearer than many of the photos I'd seen taken in the 1860s thru the 1880s. I suppose different methods were developed and this earlier method from the 1830s obviously beats the later version.

Love this stuff. Spent about a quarter century in the big photographic company, in new product development. Where it started and how far it has come, how fast, is amazing. Where it will go? Great post. Thanks!!

a reply to: DjembeJedi

Pretty cool thanks

Star for you

originally posted by: Detergent
Love this stuff. Spent about a quarter century in the big photographic company, in new product development. Where it started and how far it has come, how fast, is amazing. Where it will go? Great post. Thanks!!

It wasn't Kodak by any chance ?

Hahahaha oh that is so awesome! We need to find more of this and it is truly fascinating to see how far can we go

Here's another photograph site. This one is dedicated to France:

mimbeau.tumblr.com...

This photograph makes me dizzy:

40.media.tumblr.com...