Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre

Daguerre's supposed reluctance to be photographed perhaps explains the relatively small number of daguerreotypes that depict him. Previously attributed to both Pierre Ambroise Richebourg and, as a self-portrait, to Daguerre himself, insufficient evidence exists to support either claim. In any case, this image, despite damage to the plate, remains one of the most engaging portraits of the inventor of photography. The pose, in which he rests one arm on a table, is standard, but the expression and regard remain slightly unfixed as Daguerre, eyes squinted and head cocked, looks directly at the camera.