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Primary sourcePhotographc. 1843-1845

Zachary Taylor Daguerreotype Portrait

Maguire of New Orleans (possibly) · c. 1843-1845

A restored daguerreotype photograph of Zachary Taylor, likely taken in the mid-1840s, showing him in military dress.

This daguerreotype is a direct, contemporary photographic likeness of Taylor himself.

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Sepia-toned portrait of an older man with white, tousled hair, wearing a dark military-style double-breasted coat with white buttons, a high dark collar, and a dark neckcloth. He faces the camera with a stern expression against a plain grey background.
Possibly by Maguire of New Orleans, daguerreotype of Zachary Taylor, c. 1843-1845.

About this source

What it is

This is a daguerreotype, an early type of photograph, showing Zachary Taylor. It was possibly made by a photographer named Maguire of New Orleans around the mid-1840s, and this version has been restored and cropped from the original framing.

Why it matters

Photography was a very new technology in Taylor's time, and surviving daguerreotypes like this one are rare, direct images of people from this era, rather than painted interpretations. This image lets us see Taylor as he actually appeared, not as an artist imagined him.

Look closer

  • What does Taylor's clothing and expression suggest about how he wanted to be seen?
  • Why might this photograph have been taken around this time in his life?
  • How is a daguerreotype different from a painted portrait in what it can and can't show us?

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

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Inaugural Address of Zachary Taylor

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Sepia-toned daguerreotype portrait of an older man with white, tousled hair in a dark military-style double-breasted uniform coat with rows of buttons and shoulder insignia, seated with hands out of view, facing the camera with a stern expression against a gray backdrop.Photograph

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Zachary Taylor half plate daguerreotype

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