Early Photography Archive

Name: Early Photography Archive
Creator: Analog Photo Today
License: Open-access data is CC0; public-domain images are served via IIIF links without redistribution.

The Early Photography Archive presents public-domain photographs from the Art Institute of Chicago photography and media collection, with artist, process and dating context, drawn from the CC0 API and refreshed monthly. Every record links the museum page and adds technique family, origin region and era labels from our pipeline.

Records: 4,070
Last changed: 09/02/2026
Update schedule: 27 5 2 * * UTC
Coverage: 03/03/2026–09/02/2026
Method: Methodology

Photograph	Artist	Date	Technique	Origin	On view
Trestle Bridge at Whiteside	George N. Barnard American, 1819–1902	1866	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Untitled	Georgina Cowper, attributed English, mid 19th century	1866	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Untitled	Georgina Cowper, attributed English, mid 19th century	1866	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Untitled	Georgina Cowper, attributed English, mid 19th century	1866	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Untitled	Georgina Cowper, attributed English, mid 19th century	1866	other	Europe	false
Untitled	Georgina Cowper, attributed English, mid 19th century	1866	other	Europe	false
Untitled	Georgina Cowper, attributed English, mid 19th century	1866	other	Europe	false
Untitled	Georgina Cowper, attributed English, mid 19th century	1866	other	Europe	false
Untitled	Georgina Cowper, attributed English, mid 19th century	1866	other	Europe	false
Untitled	Georgina Cowper, attributed English, mid 19th century	1866	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
City of Atlanta, GA, No. 1	George N. Barnard American, 1819–1902	1866	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Self-Portrait of Josiah Johnson Hawes)	Albert Sands Southworth (American, 1811-1894) and Josiah Johnson Hawes (American, 1808-1901)	1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Man)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1865	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Man Reading with Smoking Coat and Pipe)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1865	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of Three Boys)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1865	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Standing Girl)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1865	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of Two Girls)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1865	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Standing Man Wearing a Fireman's Uniform)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1865	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Standing Man with a Sextant)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1865	photography	Americas	false
First View of Yosemite Valley from the Mariposa Trail	Carleton E. Watkins American, 1829-1916	1865/66	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (Dirty Monk)	Julia Margaret Cameron English, 1815–1879	1865, printed c. 1893	other	Europe	false
Robert Browning	Julia Margaret Cameron English, 1815–1879	1865, printed c. 1893	other	Europe	false
Untitled (Portrait of Seated Man Holding a Daguerreotype and Brush)	Samuel J. Miller American, 1822–1888	1865	photography	Americas	false
Yes or No	Julia Margaret Cameron English, 1815–1879	1865	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Church of St. Peter's (Roma, Chiesa di San Pietro)	James Anderson, Jr. English, 1813–1877	c. 1870	printing_dyeing metalwork photography	Europe	false
Robert Browning	Julia Margaret Cameron English, 1815–1879	1865, printed 1875	printing_dyeing	Europe	false
Robert Browning	Julia Margaret Cameron English, 1815–1879	1865, printed 1875	printing_dyeing	Europe	false
The Very Reverend Dr. Jowett (Master of Balliol, Oxford)	Julia Margaret Cameron English, 1815–1879	1865, printed c. 1893	other	Europe	false
The Dirty Monk, Alfred Tennyson	Julia Margaret Cameron English, 1815–1879	1865	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Untitled (Julia Jackson)	Julia Margaret Cameron English, 1815–1879	1865/66	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Francis Planté (French pianist, 1839-1934)	Nadar (Gaspard Félix Tournachon) French, 1820–1910	1865/73	woodwork	Europe	false
Thiers	Nadar (Gaspard Félix Tournachon) French, 1820–1910	c. 1870	woodwork	Europe	false
First View of the Yosemite Valley from the Mariposa Trail	Carleton E. Watkins American, 1829-1916	1865/66	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Ruins in Charleston, S.C.	George N. Barnard American, 1819–1902	1865/66	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Landscape with Ruin	Félix Thiollier French, 1842-1914	c. 1870	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Aiken House, on Weldon Railroad, Virginia	John Reekie (American, active 1861–1865) printed by Alexander Gardner (American, born Scotland, 1821–1882)	February 1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Medical Supply Boat, Appomattox Landing, Virginia	John Reekie American, active 1861–1865	January 1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Ruins of Gains' Mill, Virginia	John Reekie American, active 1861–1865	April 1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
A Burial Party, Cold Harbor, Virginia, pl. 94 from the album "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, Volume II" (1866)	John Reekie American, active 1861–1865	April 1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Mechanicsville, Virginia	John Reekie American, active 1861–1865	April 1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Extreme Line of Confederate Works, Cold Harbor, Virginia	John Reekie American, active 1861–1865	April 1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
The New Capitol, Columbia, SC	George N. Barnard American, 1819–1902	1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Ruins in Columbia, S.C.	George N. Barnard American, 1819–1902	1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Fort Sumpter	George N. Barnard American, 1819–1902	1865/66	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Ruins of the Pinckney Mansion, Charleston, S.C.	George N. Barnard American, 1819–1902	1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Ruins of the R.R. Depot Charleston, S.C.	George N. Barnard American, 1819–1902	1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Ruins in Columbia, S.C., No. 2	George N. Barnard American, 1819–1902	1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Rue Chartière (impasse Chartière) de la rue de Reims	Charles Marville French, 1813–1879	1865/69	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Rue de la Montagne-Sainte-Geneviève near the Intersection of Rue LaPlace (Rue de la Montagne-Sainte-Geneviève prés de carrefour de la rue LaPlace)	Charles Marville French, 1813–1879	1865/69	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Meeting of the Shenandoah and Potomac at Harper's Ferry	James Gardner American, born Scotland, 1832–after 1865	July 1865	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false