So how did the Polk photo turn out? You be the judge. Polk was a Democrat from Tennessee, much like Andrew Jackson had been. It would also raise his stature in advance of his star-making turn during the 1851 World’s Fair before he ultimately achieved photographic immortality during the Civil War. Still a young, aspiring daguerreotypist, his historic photograph of Polk would prove an important addition to his expanding gallery of famous American faces. Mathew Brady was all of 27 years old at the time. I yielded to the request of an artist named Brady, of New York, by sitting for my daguerreotype likeness today. “I have great contempt for such persons and dispose of their applications very summarily.

Evidently, Polk was in a foul mood during the sitting having just dealt with a swarm of office seekers who had pestered him all morning. The image survived and is widely regarded today as the first honest-to-goodness presidential photograph. Polk was photographed inside the White House by famed photographer Mathew B. Our 11th President would settle the matter. Although Polk has been ranked as high as the 8th greatest. Conversely (after he left office) John Quincy Adams was the first former president to be photographed wayback in !843. The song by 'They Might Be Giants' celebrates the Presidency of James K. There is evidence to suggest that William Henry Harrison was the first sitting president to have his likeness captured on camera (1841), but the image has since been lost to history. Well, if we’re being technical about it, some historians would argue that it’s the first surviving presidential photograph.

James polk pterm