{{short description|Welsh-American photographer (1809–1857)}} thumb|right|Self-portrait by Plumbe, 1846 '''John Plumbe Jr.''' (occasionally '''Plumb'''; July 13, 1809 – May 29, 1857) was a Welsh-born American entrepreneurial photographer, gallerist, publisher, and an early advocate of an American transcontinental railroad in the mid-19th century. He established a franchise of photography studios in the 1840s in the U.S., with additional branches in Paris and Liverpool. He created a lithographic process for reproducing photographic images, called the "plumbeotype."
==Biography==
Plumbe was born in Castle Caereinion, Powys, Wales in 1809, to John Plumbe and Frances Margaretta Atherton. The family moved to Philipsburg, Pennsylvania in 1821,<ref name="pioneer">{{Citation |publisher = Stanford University Press |isbn = 0-8047-3883-1 |ol = 17876198M |location = Stanford, Calif |title = Pioneer photographers of the far west |author = Peter E. Palmquist |date = 2000 |id = 0804738831 }}</ref> and later to Dubuque, Iowa.<ref name="krainik">{{cite journal |title=National Vision, Local Enterprise: John Plumbe Jr. and the Advent of Photography in Washington DC |author=Clifford Krainik |journal=Washington History |volume= 9 |issue=2 |year=1997 }}</ref>
=== Vision for a transcontinental railroad ===
He began his career as a civil engineer. "He studied civil engineering while still in his late teens and by 1829 was surveying sites for future railroad routes in the southern and eastern portions of the country. About 1836 he relocated to the Wisconsin Territory, where he became and advocate for a transcontinental railroad."<ref name="ohio-2000">{{Citation |publisher = Kent State University Press |isbn = 0-87338-616-7 |ol = 344468M |location = Kent, Ohio |title = Artists in Ohio, 1787-1900 |author = Mary Sayre Haverstock |chapter=John Plumbe |date = 2000 |id = 0873386167 }}</ref> Plumbe reasoned that a transcontinental railroad "would hasten the formation of dense settlements throughout the whole extent of the road, advance the sales of the public lands, afford increased facilities to the agricultural, commercial and mining interests of the country...and enable the government to transport troops and munitions of war."<ref>Plumbe, writing in a Wisconsin newspaper. Quoted in: Krainik. 1997; p.5.</ref>
Throughout his life Plumbe would continue to press for the railroad, petitioning Congress and presenting his ideas in various newspapers and other publications for his railroad to be looked at strong.
=== Daguerreotype galleries, 1840-1847 ===
thumb|right|150px|Plumb Daguerrian Gallery, Brown's Hotel, Pennsylvania Ave., Washington DC
Plumbe "took up photography in 1840 after seeing the work of an itinerant daguerreotypist in Washington, D.C."<ref name="John Plumbe Jr">Getty Museum. [http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=1979 John Plumbe Jr.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607144310/http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=1979 |date=2011-06-07 }} Retrieved 2011-04-19</ref>—probably the work of John G. Stevenson.<ref name="ohio-2000" />
In a short period of time, Plumbe established a string of daguerreotype studios and galleries, all bearing his name. Visitors to the galleries could view photographic works, receive training, and/or pay to have their portrait taken. Images produced in the Plumbe Studios were credited to "Plumbe," although the work was made by others, including his brother Richard Plumbe. "Each of his galleries was staffed by a host of operators, colorists, and artisans, and many notable daguerreotypists received their training or honed their skills in Plumbe's galleries, including Richard Carr, Marsena Cannon, Charles E. Johnson, Jacob Shew, Myron Shew, and William Shew."<ref name="pioneer" /> Others who learnt photographic arts through the Plumbe franchise included Ezra Chase, Samuel Masury, C.S. Middlebrook, and Gabriel Harrison.<ref name="krainik" />
In the 1840s in the United States there were Plumbe franchises in: * Arkansas—Plumbe's Daguerrian Gallery<ref>New York Herald. May 21, 1845.</ref> * Galena, Illinois<ref name="pioneer" /> * Dubuque, Iowa * Kentucky: ** Harrodsburg Springs, Kentucky<ref name="pioneer" /> ** Louisville, Kentucky<ref name="pioneer" /> * New Orleans, Louisiana<ref name="pioneer" /> * Portland, Maine<ref name="pioneer" /> * Maryland: ** Baltimore, Maryland—Plumbe Daguerrian Gallery, North St.;<ref name="sun" /> Plumbe National Daguerrian Gallery, Baltimore St.<ref name="morning">Morning News (New London, CT). July 8, 1846.</ref> ** Frederick, Maryland<ref name="pioneer" /> * Massachusetts: ** Boston, Mass. -- United States Photographic Institute (1841); Plumbe Daguerrian Gallery, Court St.;<ref name="sun" /> Plumbe National Daguerrian Gallery, Hanover St.;<ref name="morning" /> Plumbe's Daguerrean Rooms, Court Street (1849–1850); Plumbe's Daguerrian Gallery, Washington Street (1850–1851).<ref>Boston Directory. 1849, 1850, 1851.</ref> ** Salem, Massachusetts<ref name="pioneer" /> * St. Louis, Missouri * Exeter, New Hampshire<ref name="pioneer" /> * New York: ** Albany, New York—Plumbe Daguerrian Gallery<ref name="sun">The Sun (Baltimore). Nov. 29, 1843.</ref> ** New York, New York—Plumbe Daguerrian Gallery, Broadway;<ref name="sun" /> Plumbe National Daguerrian Gallery, Broadway<ref name="morning" /> ** Saratoga Springs, New York—Plumbe National Daguerrian Gallery, Broadway<ref name="morning" /> * Cincinnati, Ohio * Pennsylvania: ** Harrisburg, Pennsylvania<ref name="pioneer" /> ** Philadelphia, PA—Plumbe Daguerrian Gallery, Chestnut St.;<ref name="newport-1844">Newport Mercury. Jan. 1, 1844.</ref> Plumbe National Daguerrian Gallery, Chestnut St.<ref name="morning" /> * Newport, Rhode Island—Plumbe Daguerrian Gallery, Thames St.<ref name="newport-1844" /> * Virginia: ** Alexandria, Virginia ** Petersburg, Virginia<ref name="pioneer" /> * Washington, DC—Plumbe National Daguerrian Gallery, Pennsylvania Ave., Main St., Walnut St.<ref name="morning" />
Abroad, he opened branches in: * Liverpool, England—Plumbe National Daguerrian Gallery, Church St.<ref name="morning" /> * St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada<ref name="pioneer" /> * Paris, France—Plumbe National Daguerrian Gallery, Vieille Rue du Temple<ref name="morning" />
By 1847-1848 Plumbe sold his part of the galleries he'd established.<ref name="krainik" /><ref name="John Plumbe Jr"/> "He sold his New York gallery to William H. Butler, his head man there, in 1847, and the other galleries soon changed ownership, though the name "Plumbe's Daguerrean Gallery" was retained as late as 1852 in Boston (John P. Nichols, proprietor), and 1850 in Washington (Blanchard P. Paige, proprietor)."<ref>{{Citation |publisher = Dover Publications |isbn = 0-486-23322-7 |location = New York |title = The daguerreotype in America |chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/daguerreotypeina0000newh |author = Beaumont Newhall |date = 1976 |edition = 3 |chapter = Boston Pioneers |id = 0486233227 |chapter-url-access = registration }}</ref>
=== Exhibitions ===
Plumbe entered his photographic work in several exhibitions, including: * Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, Quincy Hall, Boston, 1844. Plumbe exhibited "35 daguerreotypes, in frames. Peculiarly pleasing, and natural in expression. Silver medal."<ref>4th exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association. 1844.</ref> * Fair of the American Institute, NY (1845)<ref>The Sun (Baltimore). Nov. 3, 1845.</ref>
=== Publishing ===
In 1846 he founded the National Publishing Company which produced the weekly ''Popular Magazine'' (Augustine J.H. Duganne, editor) and other works.
=== California and Iowa, 1849-1857 ===
Plumbe lived in California from 1849 to 1854.<ref name="pioneer" /> In 1854 returned to Dubuque, Iowa. He may have worked for photographer Mathew Brady, c. 1855-1857.<ref>Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Label for "Ring with miniature portrait of Washington Irving."</ref> He died in Iowa in 1857, at age 48.<ref>San Joaquin Republican. 08-22-1857</ref>
==Legacy== Examples of Plumbe's work are in the New York Public Library.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/Photographers_in_The_New_York_Public_Library_April_16_2010.pdf |title=Photographers in The New York Public Library's Photography Collection |year=2010 |publisher=New York Public Library }}</ref>
In 2024, the National Portrait Gallery obtained a daguerreotype of Dolley Madison, taken about 1846 by Plumbe, that is the earliest known photograph of any U.S. First Lady.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/09/style/dolley-madison-first-lady-photo-smithsonian-tan/index.html|title=Earliest known photograph of a US First Lady acquired by National Portrait Gallery|first=Torey|last=Akers|date=July 9, 2024|website=CNN}}</ref>
==Gallery== ;Works by John Plumbe: <gallery mode=packed heights="140px"> Image:Man ca1842 byJohnPlumbe Getty.jpg|Man reading, c. 1842 Image:DanielDickinson ca1840s byJohnPlumbe LOC.png|Daniel Dickinson, 1840s Image:GeorgeBancroft ca1844 byJohnPlumbe Smithsonian.jpg|George Bancroft, c. 1844 Image:Capitol1846.jpg|U.S. Capitol, by Plumbe, 1846 Image:White House 1846.jpg|White House, by Plumbe, 1846 Image:JamesBankhead ca1846 byJohnPlumbe DaguerreianSociety.png|Col. James Bankhead, 2nd U. S. Artillery. c. 1846. by J. Plumbe Image:1847 Plumbeian KrainikGallery.png|''The Plumbeian,'' 1847 Image:Woman children byJohnPlumbe DaguerreianSociety.png|Woman and children, 19th century Image:Irving-Washington-LOC.jpg|Washington Irving. Copy daguerreotype by Mathew Brady, reverse of original by John Plumbe. </gallery> ==References== {{reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
===Publications by Plumbe=== * Sketches of Iowa and Wisconsin : embodying the experience of a residence of three years in those territories. St. Louis : Chambers, Harris & Knapp, 1839. * Instructions for ... Plumbe's patent improved Daguerreotype apparatus. Boston. 1841. * Popular Magazine. National Publishing Co., 1846-1847. * The National Plumbeotype Gallery, c. 1846-1847. * Plumbe's Project of a Railroad to the Pacific. The Emancipator (Boston). 09-01-1847. * The Plumbeian. 1847. * A faithful translation of the papers respecting the grant made by Governor Alvarado to Mr. J.A. Sutter. Sacramento, CA: 1850. * Plumbe's Memorial Pacific Railroad. 1850. * Memorial Against Mr. Asa Whitney's Railroad Scheme. 1851.
===Works about Plumbe=== * Robert Taft. John Plumbe, America's First Nationally Known Photographer. American Photography 30. January 1936. * Alan Fern, "John Plumbe and the 'Plumbeotype,'" Philadelphia Printmaking. American Prints Before 1860, Robert F. Looney, ed. (West Chester, Penn.: Tinicum Press, 1976). * Library Company of Philadelphia. [https://books.google.com/books?id=nHz-e4XeYkEC Annual Report]. 1992.
==External links== {{Commons category|John Plumbe}} * WorldCat. [http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/lccn-nr92-28530 Plumbe, John 1809-1857] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100621084530/http://geh.org/fm/mees/htmlsrc/mP73300001_ful.html George Eastman House]. Plumbe daguerreotype camera, c. 1845. * [https://www.flickr.com/photos/cai_library/2279693611/ Flickr]. Col. W.W. Seaton, Mayor of Washington : plumbeotype from life * [https://www.flickr.com/photos/mirrorimagegallery/3488892481/ Flickr]. Boy with Toy Horn by Plumbe * {{cite web |url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/daghtml/dagplumb.html |title=The Plumbe Daguerreotypes |author=Prints & Photographs Division |work=Daguerreotype Portraits and Views, 1839-1864 |year=1839 |publisher=Library of Congress }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Plumbe, John}} Category:American portrait photographers Category:1809 births Category:1857 deaths Category:19th-century American photographers Category:Welsh emigrants to the United States Category:19th-century American publishers (people)