Robert Cornelius
American photographer and lamp manufacturer (1809–1893)
Biography
Robert Cornelius was born in Philadelphia in 1809 and worked as a photographer and industrialist. In 1839 he created a daguerreotype self-portrait that is generally accepted as the first known photographic portrait taken in the United States and the second in the world. Between 1840 and 1842 he operated some of the earliest photography studios in the United States and developed techniques that reduced the exposure time required for portraits. He died in 1893.
Occupation
Robert Cornelius is recorded as a industrialist and a photographer, born in Pennsylvania (1809–1893).
Connections to Pennsylvania
Robert Cornelius was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1809. Explore other notable figures from Pennsylvania, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.
Everything a full report reveals about Philadelphia
Robert Cornelius came from Philadelphia. A full Aubrey report on Philadelphia pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
More notable figures from Pennsylvania
Other historical figures born in Pennsylvania, ranked by historical prominence.
Frequently asked about Robert Cornelius
Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.
Research the history of any US location
Aubrey searches federal archives, archaeological records, historic registers, and primary sources to build a full historical report for any address or place in the United States.







