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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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
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
Collection of John Hajicek, Mormonism.com
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
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).
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).
