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Primary sourcePhotographcirca 1875

Theodore Roosevelt circa 1875

Unknown · circa 1875

A rare portrait of the teenage Theodore Roosevelt taken before he entered Harvard.

A rare photograph of Roosevelt as a teenager, shortly before he entered Harvard.

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Sepia tintype-style portrait of a young man with short, tousled hair, looking off to the right. He wears a light-colored collared jacket with a row of buttons down the front. Caption in the bottom margin credits the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard College Library.
Theodore Roosevelt, c. 1875. Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard College Library.

About this source

What it is

A sepia-toned portrait photograph of a young man, believed to be Theodore Roosevelt, taken around 1875, held in the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard College Library. The photographer is unknown.

Why it matters

The curator's note describes this as a rare likeness of Roosevelt before he began his studies at Harvard. It offers a glimpse of him as a teenager, just before the period that shaped much of his adult outlook and ambitions.

Look closer

  • What clues in the clothing or pose suggest when this photograph was taken?
  • Why might a photograph from someone's teenage years be considered rare?
  • What questions would you want answered about who took this photograph and why?

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

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