Possible Image of Joseph Smith
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1860s CDV, allegedly from a Smith Family Album (stated by the same man online in 2009 and in an email to me in 2017).
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Reprinted in 1860s CDV of Emma Smith, taken from Julia Smith’s photo album, verified to match a daguerrotype in possession by the community of Christ, holding youngest son, born in 2844, assumed to be around 1845.

In 2017, I bought the CDV that I believed may be Joseph Smith Junior, after doing my own artistic analysis. I had a few videos posted, studying his face to the death mask, I had no knowledge of the photographer or the type of print, yet.

Eventually, with a lot of efforts, and after a few months, I found the Ebay seller "G", contacted him, he still had it in his large collection of old CDVs, daguerreotypes, crystals and such, and within in seconds was offering to sell it to me!

The moment I opened it in the mail, saw it was a paper CDV, not a daguerreotype. I was concerned, as they didn’t exist in 1844, but it was a short depression, as I just as sooner found other 1840s images were reprinted onto later Carte de Vistes, including Joseph Smith’s wife's 1845 daguerreotype, done by Lucian Foster, was copied onto a paper CDV, in the 1860s- seen above. 
​ www.britannica.com/technology/carte-de-visite

A professional has said my image shows indications of being a copy of a daguerreotype, paper photography was and still is in my the back of my mind. Paper photography has existed since 1835, patented in 1841, by Henry Fox Talbot, just not popular for another decade. Talbot used negatives, well BEFORE Joseph Smith died. Talbot lived in England and released a book, in 1844, titled, "The Pencil of Nature ", only possible because he used the calotype process, which involved the use of negatives, thus a negative, from 1844 or prior, could exist of Joseph Smith. Not only was paper photography invented before Joseph Smith's death, so it’s possible Joseph Smith could have had both a daguerrotype and a paper photograph done of himself, before he died (majority of Latter-Day Saints, in Illinois, had just migrated straight from England in order to follow those of their new faith). www.britannica.com/biography/William-Henry-Fox-Talbot

 If an 1845 daguerrotype of Emma could be reprinted onto a CDV, so could Joseph’s. 
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Below:
Side-by-side, 1860s CDV reprint of Emma Smith, and my CDV reprint. Both 1860s style matting, both are zoomed in, you can see that their backdrops match. Both backdrops appear to be draped over a rod. Emma Smith is sitting and the top of the background is mere inches above her head. The dark line is where the backdrop is draped, both appear to be uneven- not exactly level (angling down more to the left). Joseph’s head hits almost the very top of the backdrop, whereas Emma, 5 inches shorter, her head appears to hit about half a foot lower on the backdrop. Also, note the backdrop has speckled shades, in both of the images below.
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1840s Illinois Man, CDV
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1860 Carte de Viste of Emma Smith holding her last born son, duplicated from an 1845 daguerrotype, believed by LDS Scholars to be done by Lucian Foster. JS III said his dad’s daguerrotype was also done by Lucian Foster.
Image below is an image from Julia Murdock Smith's photo album, which had the inscription, "Mrs. Joseph Smith and son Dave Born 3 months after his father was killed." It is much clearer than the later reprints.
Per Rick Grunder's website, that back states: "R. F. Adam's . . . St. Louis, Mo." Julie Murdock Smith, lived in Missouri with her second husband, so likely she had possession of the daguerreotype, at that time, and had it duplicated onto a paper CDV.
www.rickgrunder.com/VanNorman/Julia%20Album/julia.htm


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Collection of John Hajicek, Mormonism.com
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Above is a reprint likely done around the 1870s, per the professionally rounded corners and the faded outline. This image is much less clear than the 1860s CDV reprint, in Julia Smith's photo Album, possible evidence of oxidation, I think because each time this daguerrotype is taken out of it’s protective case it is darkening and becoming less clear.
​https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/find-out-when-a-photo-was-taken-identify-a-carte-de-visite/
www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/60139/Martyrdom-aftermath-difficult-for-Emma.html
​I contacted the Community of Christ and got to see the daguerrotype of Emma Smith, discovering that it is extremely oxidized, nearly totally black black. The oval of the case matches perfectly the oval seen faintly on the one clear reprint (I have found two others, not so clear). The clearest CDV of Emma and baby David (born in 1844) is in the 1860s style. It matches the style of my CDV; per several experts, my Carte de Viste was likely done in the 1860s. It was in the 1860s that J.S. III moves to Plano, Illinois, ten miles from J.S. Bibbins.

​1866 was when Emma finally allowed JST manuscript to leave her possession (she believed it had a protective power, mentioning her home almost burning down several times, but not- because she thought God was protecting her for having the manuscript, thus why Brigham couldn't get her to let it go, only her son could in 1866, 20 years post exodus to Utah).

Joseph Smith III mentions his Father, Joseph Smith's Daguerreotype was taken by Lucian Foster

Joseph Smith III has claimed, many times that his Father, Joseph Smith's daguerreotype was taken, by Lucian Foster, well before his death (see page 29 of the Article by William B. McCarl): 
scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5922&context=etd

Lucian Foster Comes to Nauvoo in April, 1844, bringing his Knowledge of Photography, months before Joseph Smith died. 

April 29, 1844, Lucian Foster moves to Nauvoo Illinois, from New York, where he worked and trained in art of Photography, doing Daguerreotypes; he appears in Joseph Smith’s person journal:

“Monday April 29— 1844— At home received a visit from Lucian R. Foster of N. York who gave me a gold pencil case sent me by Bro Theodore Curtis.— now in N. York & the first—— I wrote with it was “God bless the man””.
​https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/journal-december-1842-june-1844-book-4-1-march-22-june-1844/106#xbfe79a64-79af-41c7-b8f0-bd82875b10cd

In 1844, Lucian Foster is listed as being on Joseph Smith Jr.’s Presidential Campaign in Spring of 1844. 
​https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/lucian-rose-foster?highlight=Lucian%20Rose%20Foster
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/journal-december-1842-june-1844-book-4-1-march-22-june-1844/103

Forty-four days after Joseph Smith’s death, Lucian Foster’s photography studio, in Nauvoo, was up and running.  About a week later, Wilford Woodruff, Apostle called by Joseph Smith, who will later become Prophet himself, states that Lucian Foster took his image. Emma’s 1845 daguerrotype (owned by the Community of Christ), my 1840s CDV and Wilford Woodruff’s daguerrotype all have a an oval shape, similar to the oval on my 1840s CDV. Emma’s reprint, below you can faintly see the oval imprint, visible after the photographic artist took the daguerrotype of her out of the case in order to rephotograph it. (I have seen the original and cannot post it here). 

The plausibility of Lucian Foster taking Joseph Smith's daguerreotype, before his studio opens, actually makes sense, considering all the above. 
​https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/rare-original-photo-of-wilford-woodruff-discovered-on-ebay?lang=eng
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Lucian Foster’s 1844 ad, in the Nauvoo Neighbor.
Wilford Woodruff recorded he and Phoebe getting their daguerreotypes taken, August 23, 1844: catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets?id=09e6d1b1-cd59-41d4-bc46-e3d74899ceac&crate=0&index=323

The Church Catalog dates the images below between 1840-1866. I think this is a good contender for the image Lucian Foster took. catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets?id=12243fd8-741b-4e6e-a133-edbf81d46c57&crate=0&index=0
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Phoebe Woodruff, possibly by Lucian Foster in 1844; Courtesy of the Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, PH_6821
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Wilford Woodruff 1840-49 (likely done by Lucian Foster) Courtesy of the Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, PH 6821
My reasoning for thinking the above images are the ones taken in 1844, by Lucian Foster- are explained in the video below. 
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Emma Smith's 1845 CDV Print, holding baby David Hyrum Smith, born in 1844. Collection of John Hajicek, Mormonism.com
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Photograph from the "Joseph Smith Papers", titles this as: "Circa 1845, photograph likely by Lucian R. Foster, copy (Church History Library, Salt Lake City)"
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Paper photograph, Nauvoo- 24 March 1845, of Willard Richards, wife Jennetta and son Heber John
Above are images widely believed to also have been done by Lucian Foster. Above, left comes from the Church History Department, dated as 1845. They have similar lighting technique used in my image, with a huge flood of lighting the sides of their faces. Possibly Lucian Foster did what ALL photographers do, before opening a studio, practice. I believe 55 days after Joseph’s death, Lucian would have had his camera longer than that and could have practiced on Joseph and Willard...
www.josephsmithpapers.org/person/willard-richards
 Calotypes were patented in 1840 by Henry Fox Talbot; which quickly gained the upper hand for being "cheaper" and being able to make multiple prints, as they  came from a negative and thus, came out in the "right" perspective, instead of flipped around like daguerrotypes. Either medium could have been known and used by Lucian Foster in 1844. For daguerreotypes to be in the correct perspective, the camera could have a daguerreotype reversing prism attached.

My image is an 1860s CDV, believed to be a copy from a daguerreotype. Although it was not printed until much after Joseph Smith's death, a thorough analysis proves the original is older, seen below. Emma's Smith's 1845 daguerreotype was also copied onto an 1860s CDV.

J.S. (Joseph Slocum) Bibbins, Photograph Artist, Newark Illinois

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The back of my CDV, shows the Photograph Artist's name- J.S. Bibbins, and where his studio was located, Newark, Illinois
Weaver states that my image is an Albumen Carte de Visite, which was a copy of an older daguerreotype, and with no indication of being a fake (he said he would tell me and I was ready to go into debt to truly find out, but sending out for more tests didn't appear to be necessary). I was relieved to know there were indications of it being a copy, rather than an "original". This is good to know, as Joseph Smith's son stated that he had an older daguerreotype of his biological Father that he used to update his painting of him. 

The Photographic Artist, that printed by copy was J.S. Bibbins, in Newark, Kendall County, Illinois. Per ancestry, he was a photographer in the 1860s. Joseph Smith's Sons (Joseph Smith III, Alexander and David) all lived in Plano,  Kendall County, Illinois, from the mid 1860s-80s;  they ALL lived in the SAME COUNTY AT THE SAME TIME. Mind blown. See that research by clicking the video below:
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BIBBINS PHOTOGRAPHY
Above, are a few other 1800s photographs done by J.S. Bibbins; he doesn't state "photograph artist" again, but always "photographer", further imply my CDV is a copy; the backgrounds and lighting don't match my 1840s Illinois Man's, the quality is drastically different.
historical.ha.com/itm/military-and-patriotic/civil-war/civil-war-carte-de-visite-of-lieutenant-colonel-porter-c-olson-field-and-staff-illinois-36th-infantry-killed-in/a/6124-38015.s
​

J.S. Bibbin's subjects generally are full body, with good- not bad lighting. My image has dramatic- side lighting and is less clear. Further evidence that Bibbins did not take the original image, in my CDV is lighting, the light source in the images below come from the left, possibly a window, but in my CDV, the man seated has light hitting the left side of his face, or coming from our right.   The 1860s the The Sun Picture Tax ended in 1866.  My Image not having the stamp on the back, is further evidence it likely possibly printed after 1866, when Joseph Smith III moved to Plano, Kendall County, Illinois. 
lisalisson.com/how-to-date-photographs-using-tax-stamps/

 Emma’s four boys began living in Plano, Ill., ten miles away from J.S. Bibbins, when the my CDV was printed, is what was very convincing evidence to me.  Since 1863, 
Joseph Smith, Jr., was publisher and editor of all publications of the Latter Day Saints Herald Publishing Company, headquartered in Plano, Illinois, until 1881, when he moved to Iowa:

"In October 1881, Joseph Smith, Jr., announced the publishing company and church headquarters were leaving Plano for Lamoni, Iowa. The last issue of the True Latter Day Saints Herald contained the following statement. 
"The readers of the [True Latter Day Saints] Herald are hereby notified that this issue will be the last paper printed and published in Plano... It came here in 1863, and was kindly received by the leading citizens of the place. It began its career here with a list of three hundred subscribers, many of them free. ..The [True Latter Day Saints] Herald will have an office two stories high, 30 by 65 feet in size with an engine room attached. The force will include an editor, bookkeeper, superintendent and five compositors."
kendallkin.org/county-history/newspaper-publishing.html

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Joseph Smith III is mentioned on the Kendallkin.org website:
kendallkin.org/county-history/town-histories/plano/plano-visit-1873.html
Joseph Slocum Bibbins dies in Plano, Kendall County, Illinois in 1892. Ancestry records support the information about J.S. Bibbins, as found on Kendallkin.org:
kendallkin.org/databases/945/A,showall/86.html
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Using window lighting I captured a lot of detail of my CDV, showing that the photographic print is on thin paper, glued to the thick cardboard, slightly coming up on the right side. CDVs were glued to the mat and commonly a duplication from a daguerrotype would be cut into the common oval shape of the original daguerrotype’s matting.

Emma’s 1845 daguerrotype was encased in an oval matt as well, along with a recently disobedience daguerrotype of Wilford Woodruff, from this time period, also believed to be done by Lucian Foster.
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ELISHA BIBBINS:
​history.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/historic-sites/pennsylvania/priesthood-restoration-site/emmas-susquehanna?lang=eng
Joseph Slocum Bibbin's Father, Elisha Bibbins, while working as a Methodist Circuit Rider in his early 20s,  in Harmony, Pennsylvania, met the Hale Family, including Emma Hale (Smith). 
Elisha Bibbins was the Methodist Circuit Rider, in Harmony Pennsylvania, when a young Emma Smith, in 1812, mentioned here on page 138, of History of Susquehanna County:
play.google.com/books/reader?id=Hao-AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.RA1-PA138

A few pages earlier, on page 103, Emma Smith is mentioned, and her family in a rather negative view:
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=Hao-AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&pg=GBS.RA1-PA103
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The connection between the Hale and Bibbin familys is made more clear in 
Isaac and Elizabeth Hale in Their Endless Mountain Home, pg. 67; Mark Staker: mormonhistoricsites.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Isaac-andElizabeth-Hale.pdf

"Elisha Bibbins... briefly became the circuit riders for the valley in 1812 and continued to encourage grove experiences. They promised the faithful they could receive direct answer to prayer. Bibbins was a man of medium size with a prominent nose and “benignant eyes” who was so successful in his efforts to invite the interested to seek God in prayer that a local hunter found these Shouting Methodists praying in the woods disruptive and insisted “they frightened the deer away [as] he came upon praying people everywhere.”

"...Alva Hale used the Sabbath as a day for target shooting, and his father, Isaac, often found himself in the woods hunting. One day, when Elisha Bibbins was the circuit rider, Isaac came across his daughter Emma in the woods while out hunting. “Mr. Hale always claimed that he was converted from deism to faith in Christ as the Savior, by a secret prayer of Emma’s, when she was but seven or eight years old..."  

Historical, records of the Bibbins family, show Joseph Slocum Bibbin's had three other brothers, all born in Pennysylvania,  later moving to Newark, Kendall County, Illinois in 1838:
kendallkin.org/databases/1390/A,showall/6.html
kendallkin.org/databases/945/A,showall/86.html

Elisha Bibbins married in 1814, moving East to start a family, so his stint in Harmony Penn. was "brief", becoming a circuit rider for Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, near Scranton PA, where Elisha dies in 1859, visiting “friends”. Near Scranton was where Bibbins fathered four boys. The records show that there was only one Methodist Circuit rider named Elisha Bibbins and the whereabouts mentioned in the historical records of the great influential teacher of Emma Smith, is the same Elisha that fathered my photographic artist Joseph Slocum Bibbins.
www.haakull.com/TNG/getperson.php?personID=I6062&tree=cvh


Elisha is listed as the circuit rider in Luzerne County, eastern PA in 1814:
https://books.google.com/books?id=6tFXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA54&lpg=PA54&dq=joseph+smith+III,+Bibbins&source=bl&ots=DkTHGVb-jx&sig=ACfU3U27w7VxUlNErJqPJee_n7VXbr3Kzg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQoJntrJblAhVQgp4KHSQaDAQ4ChDoATAHegQIAxAB#v=onepage&q=joseph%20smith%20III%2C%20Bibbins&f=false



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