Paul Beck Goddard (c. 1811 - July 5, 1866) was an American physician and editor of medical books who also made pioneering contributions to

photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...

. He graduated from the medical school of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

in 1832. As well as practicing as a physician and surgeon, he was professor of anatomy at Franklin Medical College of Philadelphia, and a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

(elected in 1840). In his experimental photography work with

Robert Cornelius Robert Cornelius (; March 1, 1809 – August 10, 1893) was an American photographer and pioneer in the history of photography. His daguerreotype self-portrait taken in 1839 is generally accepted as the first known photographic portrait of a pers ...

, in 1839 Goddard became the first to use

bromide A bromide ion is the negatively charged form (Br−) of the element bromine, a member of the halogens group on the periodic table. Most bromides are colorless. Bromides have many practical roles, being found in anticonvulsants, flame-retard ...

for

daguerreotype Daguerreotype was the first publicly available photography, photographic process, widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process. Invented by Louis Daguerre and introduced worldwid ...

s. Goddard was then working as an assistant to University of Pennsylvania Chemistry professor Dr. Robert Hare, and this chemistry background contributed to his successful experiments with bromine. Recognizing the potential of this innovation, which significantly decreased exposure times, Goddard helped Cornelius set up a commercial photography studio. Goddard died in Philadelphia on July 5, 1866. Reporting his death, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' described him "one of the most eminent physicians of this country" and said, "His devotion to wounded soldiers during the war gained him great popularity among the people."

References

External links

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The Zentmayer Grand American Microscope once owned by Dr. Paul Beck Goddard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goddard, Paul Beck 19th-century American physicians 19th-century American photographers 1810s births 1866 deaths Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni Members of the American Philosophical Society