The earliest known photograph .

The earliest known photograph of the White House, depicted here, was taken in 1846 during James K. Polk’s presidency. The photograph depicts the south side of the White House looking north and west. 

Due to the mirror image created by the daguerreotype photograph, the cast of shadows in the photograph indicates that it was taken in the early light of the morning. The photograph was likely taken in the winter or early spring based on the small patch of snow in the foreground and additional snow piles at the base of the South Portico stairs. 

The photograph is a half-plate daguerreotype, measuring four-and-a-half by five-and-a-half inches and attributed to John Plumbe, Jr. Invented in 1839, the daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process. These images were typically produced on silvered copper plates where the image was directly exposed onto the plates, creating a one-of-a-kind image. 

At the time, daguerreotypes could only be reproduced as engravings or drawings. This process is unlike modern film photography where the images are transferred from transparent negatives to paper that can be reproduced many times. 

As photography became more popular, more photographs of the White House were taken throughout the course of the nineteenth century. Today, the White House typically has several photographers on staff to capture important moments in White House history.

Image Credit: Library of Congress