Robert Cornelius (; March 1, 1809
– August 10, 1893) was an American photographer and pioneer in the
history of photography
The history of photography began in remote antiquity with the discovery of two critical principles: camera obscura image projection and the observation that some substances are visibly altered by exposure to light. There are no artifacts or de ...
. He designed the
photographic plate for the first photograph taken in the United States, an image of
Central High School taken by Joseph Saxton in 1839. His self image taken in 1839 is the first known photographic portrait of a human taken in the United States. He operated two of the earliest photography studios in the United States between 1841 and 1843 and implemented innovative techniques to significantly reduce the
exposure time
In photography, shutter speed or exposure time is the length of time that the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light (that is, when the camera's shutter is open) when taking a photograph.
The amount of light that rea ...
required for portraits.
He was an inventor, businessman and lamp manufacturer. He created and patented the "solar lamp" in 1843 which burned brighter and allowed for the use of cheaper
lard
Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.[Lard]
entry in the ...
as a fuel source rather than more expensive
whale oil.
Early life and career
Cornelius was born in
Philadelphia to Sarah Cornelius () and Christian Cornelius. His father immigrated from
Amsterdam in 1783 and worked as a
silversmith before opening a lamp-manufacturing company. He attended private school as a youth and took a particular interest in
chemistry. In 1831, he began working for his father and specialized in silver plating and metal polishing. Soon after the
daguerreotype was invented, Cornelius was approached by
Joseph Saxton to create a silver plate for his daguerreotype of
Central High School in Philadelphia. Saxton's photo is believed to be the oldest photograph taken in the United States. It was this meeting that sparked Cornelius's interest in photography.
With his own knowledge of chemistry and
metallurgy, as well as the help of chemist
Paul Beck Goddard, Cornelius attempted to perfect the daguerreotype. Around October 1839, at age 30, Cornelius took a
self-portrait outside the family store. The daguerreotype produced is an off-center portrait of himself with crossed arms and tousled hair. While
Louis Daguerre's photograph of the
Boulevard du Temple
The Boulevard du Temple, formerly nicknamed the "Boulevard du Crime", is a thoroughfare in Paris that separates the 3rd arrondissement from the 11th. It runs from the Place de la République to the Place Pasdeloup, and its name refers to the ne ...
, taken one year earlier, incidentally included two human figures on the sidewalk, Cornelius' photo is the oldest known intentional photographic portrait of a human made in the United States. It was preceded by at least some months by portraits taken by
Hippolyte Bayard
Hippolyte Bayard (20 January 1801 – 14 May 1887) was a French photographer and pioneer in the history of photography. He invented his own process that produced direct positive paper prints in the camera and presented the world's first public e ...
in France. The quality of the photographic plate and the technique used required him to sit motionless for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cornelius would operate two of the earliest photographic studios in the United States between 1841 and 1843. His studio achieved improved photographic quality through the implementation of reflectors to direct additional light onto the portrait subject and blue glass filters. These changes along with improved photographic plates allowed portrait subject to only have to remain still for about one minute. His studio became popular with wealthy patrons and many of his portraits of famous people still exist. As the popularity of photography grew and more photographers opened studios, Cornelius either lost interest or realized that he could make more money at the family gas and lighting company.
He managed Cornelius & Co. (later known as Cornelius & Baker) and had great success with his invention of the "solar lamp". At the time, whale-oil was used in lamps but had become very expensive. Cornelius revised a British lamp design which forced additional air into the burner and allowed for the burning of lard rather than whale oil. He applied for and received a U.S. patent for the "solar lamp" in 1843. The lamp proved extremely popular and was sold in the U.S. and Europe. Two large factories in Philadelphia manufactured the lamp. Cornelius also received patents for lighting
gaslights with electric sparks. The Cornelius lamp company also created the first
kerosene lamp
A kerosene lamp (also known as a paraffin lamp in some countries) is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel. Kerosene lamps have a wick or mantle as light source, protected by a glass chimney or globe; lamps may be used on a ...
, however cheaper and more efficient versions dominated the market. While Cornelius was still a wealthy man, his once dominant lamp company was overtaken by other companies.
Cornelius did not make much of his achievement of the first human photograph in the United States. It survived due to the efforts of
Marcus Aurelius Root
Marcus Aurelius Root (1808–1888) was a writing teacher and photographer. He was born in Granville, Ohio and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On 20 June 1846, he bought John Jabez Edwin Mayall's Chestnut Street photography studio that was in ...
, a pupil at Cornelius' studio. Root published ''The Camera and The Pencil'' which provided background on the roots of photography in the United States. The book was highlighted at the
Centennial Exhibition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...
in Philadelphia in 1876 and caught the attention of Julius Sachse, a noted Philadelphia photographer and future editor of ''American Journal of Photography''. Sachse began interviewing Cornelius and other members of the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
in order to record the history of photography in the United States correctly. Cornelius told Sachse that he began taking photographs in October 1839 but no evidence was found of his claim until 1975 when a librarian at the American Philosophical Society discovered photographs taken by Cornelius dated in 1839.
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Personal life
Cornelius married Harriet Comly (sometimes spelled "Comely") in 1832. They had eight children: three sons and five daughters.
Later years and death
Cornelius retired from his family's business in 1877. In his later years, he lived at his country home in Frankford, Philadelphia
Frankford is a neighborhood in the Northeast section of Philadelphia situated about six miles (10 km) northeast of Center City. Although its borders are vaguely defined, the neighborhood is bounded roughly by the original course of Frankfo ...
. Cornelius was also an elder at the Presbyterian Church, where he was a member for fifty years. He died at his Frankford home on August 10, 1893 and was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Gallery
Examples of Cornelius' photographs:
File:Solomon Andrews circa 1840 by Robert Cornelius.png, Solomon Andrews
File:Captain Charles John Biddle.png, Captain Charles John Biddle
Charles John Biddle (April 30, 1819 – September 28, 1873) was an American soldier, lawyer, congressman, and newspaper editor.
Biography
Biddle was born and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Nicholas Biddle, president of t ...
File:Elliott Cresson photo Restored.jpg, Elliott Cresson
File:Isaiah Lukens.jpg, Isaiah Lukens
File:Portrait of Martin Hans Boyè during experiments.jpg, Portrait of Martin Hans Boyè during chemical experiments
File:Martin Hans Boye.jpg, Martin Hans Boyè in 1841
File:Philadelphia 8th & Market 1840.jpg, Philadelphia 8th & Market Street in 1840
References
External links
Article_from_the_April_1840_issue_of_Godey's_Lady's_Book
,_vol._20,_p._190.html" ;"title="Godey's Lady's Book">Article from the April 1840 issue of Godey's Lady's Book
, vol. 20, p. 190">Godey's Lady's Book">Article from the April 1840 issue of Godey's Lady's Book
, vol. 20, p. 190
Later photographic portrait of Cornelius at findagrave.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornelius, Robert
1809 births
1893 deaths
19th-century American businesspeople
19th-century American inventors
19th-century American photographers
American patent holders
American people of Dutch descent
American Presbyterians
Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)
Businesspeople from Philadelphia
Members of the American Philosophical Society
Photographers from Philadelphia
Pioneers of photography
Selfies