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
Untitled (Portrait of Bull)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1847	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Painting of Henry Clay)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1847	photography	Americas	false
The Ward Family	Artist unknown 19th century	c. 1852	photography	other	false
Untitled (John Drew, War Drummer, Mexican American War)	H. R. Grant American, 19th century	1847	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Seated Man Holding a Map)	Marcus Aurelius Root American, 1808-1888	1847	photography	Americas	false
Mont-Majour, Poterne de la Tour de L'Abbaye	Charles Nègre French, 1820–1880	c. 1852	other	Europe	false
Untitled (Group Portrait of Men)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1847	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of Man)	Mathew B. Brady American, 1823–1896	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Man)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Woman with Two Girls)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Woman with Two Girls)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of Girl Holding Stick and Hoop)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of Two Girls)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1846	photography	Americas	false
Rue Cambon	Hippolyte Bayard French, 1801–1887	1846, printed 1965	printing_dyeing metalwork photography	Europe	false
Mrs. S. H. C. Miner	William Notman Canadian, born Scotland, 1826–1891	1846/1891	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Cloisters of Lacock Abbey	William Henry Fox Talbot English, 1800–1877	c. 1841/44	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
The cannon 'Mons Meg' at Edinburgh Castle, and a private in the 2nd battalion of Royal Scots who garrisoned the Castle in 1846	David Octavius Hill (Scottish, 1802–1870) and Robert Adamson (Scottish, 1821–1848)	1846	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Colosseum, Rome, 2nd View	Rev. Calvert R. Jones Welsh, 1804–1877	May 1846	printing_dyeing photography	other	false
Bay of Baia	Rev. Calvert R. Jones Welsh, 1804–1877	1846	printing_dyeing photography	other	false
St. Lucia, Naples	Rev. Calvert R. Jones Welsh, 1804–1877	1846	printing_dyeing photography	other	false
Untitled (Woman in Interior of House)	J. C. Spooner American, 1827–1919	1846/99	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
Bryan House	J. C. Spooner American, 1827–1919	1846/99	printing_dyeing photography	Americas	false
The Pope's Palace, Avignon	Charles Nègre French, 1820–1880	c. 1851	other	Europe	false
Untitled (Group Portrait of Men, Women, and Children)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of Seated Man with his Arms Crossed)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1846	photography	Americas	false
143. Copper Ore Vessel, Swansea	Rev. Calvert R. Jones Welsh, 1804–1877	1846	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Celebrated Obelisk, Naples	Rev. Calvert R. Jones Welsh, 1804–1877	1846	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Lord Cockburn at Bonaly	David Octavius Hill (Scottish, 1802–1870) and Robert Adamson (Scottish, 1821–1848)	1846/47	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Mrs. Craik	Artist unknown, possibly Benjamin Mulock (English, 1829–1863) English, 19th century	1848/60	other	Europe	false
The Pope's Palace, Avignon	Charles Nègre (French, 1820–1880) and Joel Snyder (American, 1940-2026)	c. 1851, printed 1970	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
The Pope's Palace, Avignon	Charles Nègre (French, 1820–1880) and Joel Snyder (American, 1940-2026)	c. 1851, printed 1970	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Untitled (Portrait of Standing Boy and Seated Girl)	William Langenheim (American, born Germany,1807-1874) and Frederick Langenheim (American, born Germany, 1809-1879)	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Man)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Storefront)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of Two Girls and Two Boys)	Montgomery Simons American, 1817-1877	1846	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Man)	Edward Anthony American, 1819-1888	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Seated Woman)	John Plumbe American, born Wales, 1809-1857	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Seated Man in Profile)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Woman Reading)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Seated Man)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of Seated Man)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Man)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Seated Woman, Reading)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of a Man at a 3/4 Angle)	John Jabez Edwin Mayall (American, born English, 1810-1901) and Samuel Van Loan (American, born English, 1823-1900)	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Portrait of the Smith Family, New York)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1845	photography	Americas	false
Untitled (Construction of the First Drydock, U.S. Navy Yard, Dry Dock #1 Brooklyn, NY)	Unknown maker American, 19th century	1845	photography	Americas	false
"A Scene in York" - York Minster from Lop Lane	William Henry Fox Talbot English, 1800–1877	July 28, 1845	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Le Moulin de Saint-Ouen	Hippolyte Bayard French, 1801–1887	1845, printed 1965	printing_dyeing metalwork photography	Europe	false
The Ancient Vestry	William Henry Fox Talbot English, 1800–1877	September 1845 ?	printing_dyeing photography	Europe	false
Untitled (portrait of a child)	Artist unknown 19th century	n.d.	other	other	false