Could you imagine a world without cameras? Pictures are very important to us in this day and age. It is one of the best ways to immortalize any moment and makes it easier for us to look back and remember the good times. Before cameras were invented, historical figures were immortalized through paintings.

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It was not until 1826 that the earliest known photograph was taken by French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. Since then, a lot of historical figures were immortalized in time through the camera. Here, we give a list of historical figures that have been captured during the early days of photography.

Johnny Appleseed

A lot of us grew up hearing the stories of Johnny Appleseed, the outdoorsman who traveled on foot across the USA and planted trees all the way. But not everyone knows that he is a real person.

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John Chapman, more known as Johnny Appleseed, is a pioneer nurseryman who introduced the apple to several states. Johnny was well-loved because of his kindness. This photo was taken sometime in the 1840s.

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams is the son of Founding Father John Adams and the sixth president of the United States of America. Historians have described his presidential term as underrated and he had an inadequate performance compared to what his prominent political family has achieved.

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His father, John Adams, was the 2nd president of the United States. John Quincy Adams was born in 1767 and had managed to be one of the people born in the 1700s who has lived long enough to be photographed. This portrait was taken in 1843.

Arthur Wellesly

Arthur Wellesly makes his mark in history as the first Duke of Wellington. He served as prime minister for two terms. But Arthur was more known as a soldier than as a political figure.

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He was a commander of the British army during the Napoleonic Wars. His victory during the Battle of Waterloo marked the end of the Napoleonic wars. Arthur is one of the most decorated war heroes in all of Europe. This portrait was taken in 1844.

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson is the 7th US President who was also a soldier, lawyer, and statesman. He makes his mark in US history as the founder of the Democratic Party and the president who destroyed the Second Bank of the United States.

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Andrew Jackson was also labeled as a tyrant by his critics. Under his presidency, a lot of Native Americans were mistreated and killed. Most of them were forced to evacuate their own lands. This photograph was taken in 1844 or 1845.

Robert E. Lee

Robert Lee has made a mark in history as the American Confederate general who commanded the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. As a general, he gained a reputation as being a great tactician.

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The famous general was known for his highly controversial views and was highly disliked for his views on slavery. In this portrait, he is joined by his son, William Henry Fitzhugh Lee. The photo was taken in 1845.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is one of the best-known US presidents in history. He is the 16th president of the United States and is one of the most decorated political figures in the world. He is best known for the US president who abolished slavery.

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The photo above is the earliest known photo of Abraham Lincoln. It was believed that this photo was taken in 1846. During this time, he was still a congressman-elect and he was a practicing lawyer.

John Brown

Militant abolitionist John Brown was known to be a man of action. John’s family lived within a Black community in New York and he became obsessed with the idea of freeing the enslaved Black people.

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John Brown’s most famous act was leading a raid on the Harpers Ferry in 1859. It was an unsuccessful raid but it was a bold move that had motivated other abolitionists. This portrait of him was believed to be taken in 1846 or 1847 by Augustus Washington, an African-American photographer.

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass is known to be an abolitionist leader who was born into slavery and was able to escape it in Maryland during the 1800s. He later became one of the most famous intellectuals in the United States, advising Presidents and giving his support on a lot of causes such as women’s rights.

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This famous portrait encaptures his stern and intense character. Frederick was believed to be very conscious of his reputation. The portrait was believed to be taken somewhere between 1847 and 1852.

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson is one of the best American poets of the 19th century. Her poems are still popular to this date and are being studied in English classes. Although undoubtedly brilliant, Emily was unappreciated in her own time.

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It is said that Emily Dickinson was not able to see the success of her work. Out of the 1800 poems that she has written, only a handful was published while she was still alive. The portrait here is said to be the only authenticated photo of Emily Dickinson after her childhood. The photo is said to be taken in 1847.

Ichabod Crane

The name Ichabod Crane may be familiar for those who have read The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow, written by Washington Irving. Although the author had not stated that the character was based on this real-life Colonel Ichabod Crane, it was noted that the two knew each other and were friends.

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The real-life Ichabod Crane, though, is far from the character in the famous book. Ichabod Crane was a brave military officer and served in the army for almost 50 years. This portrait was taken in 1848.

Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren makes his mark in history as the first US President to be born under the American flag. Although he was able to avoid going into war by declaring neutrality, the great depression hit under his term. Because of it, he was unable to win for a second presidential term.

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Martin Van Buren was known to be a shrewd and cunning politician. He was also called “Little Magician” and “Red Fox” because of his slyness. He was elected into office in 1837. The portrait above was believed to be taken between 1849 and 1850.

Uncle Sam

Uncle Sam is a famous patriotic character. We usually see him in military recruitment where there is a picture of him pointing and the words “I want you for U.S. army” at the bottom. What most people do not know is that Uncle Sam is a real person!

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The real-life Uncle Sam is actually a meat packer who supplied food to troops during the War of 1812. The food came in barrels with the initials U.S. but the troops often joked it stood for Uncle Sam instead of United States. The rest is history. This picture is known to be the only photograph of the real Uncle Sam and was believed to be taken somewhere around the 1850s.

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin is no doubt one of the most famous scientists who has ever lived. The British naturalist is most known for his theory of natural selection, also known as the theory of evolution.

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Charles Darwin was once a divinity student who studied theology before he came up with the theory of evolution. He started having doubts about religion when he encountered the evils of slavery during his travels around the world and when three of his children died before him. This particular portrait was believed to be taken around 1854

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Isambard Kingdom Brunel is a highly acclaimed British Engineer and was renowned to be one of the greatest engineers of the 19th century for revolutionizing public transport and modern engineering. He built 25 railway lines, 5 suspension bridges, 3 ships, 8 pier and dock systems, hundreds of bridges and tunnels, and an army field hospital.

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Isambard built the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship. In this photo, Isambard stands in front of one of the steamships he designed, the Great Eastern. The photograph was taken in 1857.

George Armstrong Custer

George Custer was a US commander in wars against the Native Americans and a Union cavalry officer in the American Civil War. He led his men in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, one of the most controversial battles in US history, where he met his demise. The event is also known as Custer’s Last Stand.

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George was known to be overconfident in his abilities and skills. He also was known for his thick mustache. This photo was taken before he started growing it. This portrait was taken in 1860.

Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle is a Duwamish and Suquamish chief who was famous for forming friendly relations with the white settlers instead of fighting them off. Because of his bravery and rapport, the city of Seattle in Washington, USA, was named after him.

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Chief Seattle also made a famous speech that preached about having respect for the land rights of his people and being responsible for the environment. This portrait of him was taken in 1864.

Sir John Herschel

Sir John Frederick William Herschel was a multi-talented man who made significant contributions in many areas such as chemistry, mathematics, photography, and astronomy. He invented the actinometer, cyanotype, photographic fixer, blueprint, and the Julian day system. He also named the four moons of Uranus and the seven moons of Saturn.

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His book, Preliminary Discourse, was a vital contribution to the philosophy of science. He has received a lot of awards throughout his career. This photo was taken by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1867.

Daniel F. Bakeman

Daniel Bakeman made his mark in history as the last surviving soldier and the last soldier who received a veteran’s pension for the American Revolutionary War. The war with Great Britain started in 1755 and ended in 1783.

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Daniel Bakeman often was called to take part in important ceremonies and Independence Day. This photo was taken in 1868. He was 109 years old then. A year after, Daniel Bakeman passed away.

Harriet Tubman

Araminta Ross, known as Harriet Tubman, is a prominent figure during the 1800s. She was able to escape slavery and became a hero of the abolitionist movement and was the leader behind the Underground Railroad, which transferred slaves to Canada and free American states.

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While Harriet was working as the “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, she had a bounty on her head but this did not scare her. She was also a Union spy, a nurse, and a women’s suffrage supporter. This portrait of Harriet Tubman was taken in Auburn, New York, in 1868.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe is an abolitionist figure who is best known for writing the novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The novel highlighted the evils of slavery and her book has angered the South, where slavery was dominant.

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Harriet traveled around America to speak about her book and give her anti-slavery views. However, it was her brothers or her husbands who usually spoke to crowds on her behalf since women were not encouraged to speak in public during her time. This portrait was taken in 1870.

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent Willem van Gogh is a dutch post-impressionist painter whose works are so well-known around the world that he is considered one of the most influential figures in Western art history. Sadly, he was not appreciated during his time.

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Aside from his recognizable way of painting, van Gogh was also famous for cutting off his ear. It was said that this happened while he was undergoing delirium caused by alcohol withdrawal. This portrait was taken in 1872. Vincent van Gogh was just 19 years old then.

Calamity Jane

Martha Jane Cannary, more known as Calamity Jane, is a legend from Wild West. She was known as a sharpshooter, raconteur, and frontierswoman. She was known to be a hard-drinking crossdresser as she always preferred to dress like a man.

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A lot of stories about her heroism and charity have been passed around that it was hard to tell if every one of them is true. She ended up performing in Wild West shows, making her one of the most popular characters of the West. This portrait of Calamity Jane was taken around the 1880s.

Jesse James

Jesse James was a famous figure from the American Old West era. Jesse was known to be an outlaw and the leader of the feared James-Young Gang. Their gang often robbed banks and trains. Jesse was also involved during the Civil War, where he joined the “Bushwhackers,” a pro-Confederate guerilla group.

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Jesse James became a legendary figure of the Wild West. His demise came in the hands of Robert Ford, a new recruit to the James-Young gang. Robert shot James in the head in exchange for a promised amnesty for Robert’s previous crimes. This portrait of Jesse was taken in 1882.

Geronimo

Geronimo is an Apache leader and medicine man who is known for his bravery in resisting the Americans and Mexicans who have tried to evict his tribe from their lands. Geronimo led a band of 16 fearless warriors and together, they have slaughtered over 600 men in just the last 5 months before his surrender.

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He was known as the last Native American who formally surrendered to the US military after so many years of struggle. Sadly, he was taken as a prisoner of war upon his surrender. He spent 20 years in prison. This picture was taken in 1887.

Butch Cassidy

Robert LeRoy Parker, famously known as Butch Cassidy, is one of the most feared outlaws in the Wild West. He is the leader of the Wild Bunch gang who often robbed trains and banks.

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Butch Cassidy has made his mark as one of the most notorious criminals in American history and his legacy lives on to this day. It is said that he was able to steal a total of $10 million. This photo was taken in 1900.

Marie Curie

Polish physicist and chemist Marie Curie made her mark in history as the first woman to win the Nobel Prize. To date, she is the only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice: The first one is a Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) and the second is a Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1911).

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Marie Curie is most known for her discovery of polonium and radium. This was a great contribution to cancer treatments at her time. Sadly, her research caused her demise – she died of prolonged exposure to radiation. This portrait was taken in 1900.

Lev Tolstoy

Russian writer Lev Tolstoy is well-known for his novels Anna Karenina and War and Peace. He is considered one of the greatest writers ever and his works are still being discussed in English classes.

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Lev Tolstoy was in the running for the Nobel Prize in Literature from 1902 to 1906. He was nominated every year and it is still considered a major controversy that he had not won the Nobel Prize. This photo was taken in 1908 when he was 80 years old.

Rasputin

Grigori Rasputin was a famous Russian mystic who had a huge following after showing his healing powers. Rasputin befriended Tsar Nicholas II and was thought to be the secret behind the success of the Russian monarchy.

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Rasputin became a controversial figure with an undeniable strong influence over the royal family. He was the target of numerous assassination attempts until Prince Felix Yusupov succeeded in murdering him in 1916. This portrait was believed to be taken shortly before he was assassinated.