The Earliest-born Person to Be Photographed

Periodically, a photograph purported to be of Hannah Stilley Gorby comes up on the internet as the earliest-born person to be photographed. Gorby was said to have been born in 1746. We know that the world's first photograph was taken around 1826. By 1840, there were commercial photography studios in larger cities where one could have a portrait made. In 1840, Gorby would have been 94 years old. But there is no reliable documentation on Gorby's birth year, and no evidence that she lived past 1840, so this photo goes under the category of unverifiable.

However, there are many contenders for the title of the earliest-born person ever photographed, and they are all unverifiable in one way or another. In the 18th century, birth certificates weren't a thing. A person's birth date was recorded in the family Bible, or not. Records became lost or destroyed over time. People lied about their age. Continue reading for more photos of people who were born in the early 1700s (or not) who may have been the earliest-born person photographed.   

The Earliest-born Person to Be Photographed