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Primary sourcePhotograph30 December 1852

Rutherford B. Hayes and His Wife on Their Wedding Day

30 December 1852

A reproduction of the 1852 wedding daguerreotype of Rutherford B. Hayes and Lucy Webb Hayes.

This wedding photograph shows Hayes with Lucy Webb, whose views shaped his own.

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Sepia-toned reproduction of a daguerreotype portrait of a seated woman and a standing man in dark clothing, set within an ornate scalloped frame. The woman wears a lace collar and has her hands folded; the man rests one hand on a patterned chair.
Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife on their wedding day, 30 December 1852. Reproduction of a daguerreotype.

About this source

What it is

This is a reproduction of a daguerreotype photograph taken on December 30, 1852, showing Rutherford B. Hayes with his new wife, Lucy Webb, on their wedding day.

Why it matters

Lucy Webb Hayes was known as an abolitionist and temperance advocate, and she influenced her husband's views throughout his life and presidency. This early image captures the couple at the very start of their marriage, long before Hayes became president, giving a personal glimpse behind the public political figure.

Look closer

  • What does the formal pose and setting tell you about how couples wanted to be remembered in photographs of this era?
  • Why might a wedding photograph be useful to historians studying a president's private life and values?
  • What is missing from this image that might help explain Lucy Hayes's later public role?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Rutherford B. Hayes on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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