# Presidential photographs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-photographs/40625>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 10, 2000, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-photographs/40625 "2000-11-10T07:33:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-photographs/40625/1 "2000-11-10T07:33:52Z")

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Does anybody know who the first president to be photographed was? First, as in order of holding the presidency, not necessarily the actual first to sit to be photographed.

I’m thinking it may have been Andrew Jackson. If so, is that famous photo on the 20 the only one ever made of him?

Thanks,

Sir

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-photographs/40625/2 "2000-11-10T07:44:20Z")

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I’m not sure who the first to be photographed was, but I’ve heard that Abe Lincoln was the first to be photographed on a regular basis.

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2000, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-photographs/40625/3 "2000-11-10T08:47:14Z")

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I’ve heard that J.Q. Adams has the first presidential photo, although it may have been a daguerrotype and it might have been taken after he left office.