Photograph of Joseph Smith

1840s Illinois Man,From a Smith Family Album,
Possible Image of Joseph Smith

1845 Image, copied onto an 1860s CDV, of Emma Smith and David Hyrum Smith, found in Julia Smith’s photo album.

Above is an 1860s CDV of Emma Smith, Wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr., copied from an 1840s daguerreotype, likely 1845- as it is identified as Baby David Hyrum Smith, born in 1844, written in pencil- by eldest daughter of the above mentioned- Julia Smith, found in her photo album. Taken by Lucian Foster, per most scholars, same background as my possible image of Joseph Smith, both reprints from daguerreotypes.

1860s CDV, Copied from a Daguerreotype, Found by a Non-member in a Smith Family Album, wearing 1840s clothing, printed ten miles from Joseph Smith III, in the 1860s, Claimed it was Joseph Smith, and I believed him.

The early 2000s numerous alleged images of Joseph Smith began cropping up, but none were solidely proven to be of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith, the translator of the Book of Mormon and leader/Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (1830- his death in 1844). There are many pictures of all Joseph Smith's successors, some in the same year of his death. Logically a photograph of Joseph Smith could be in existence, it was talked about by his family members and closest associates. The reason people are looking for a photograph of Joseph Smith, is in part because of what his son Joseph Smith III, said to the Salt Lake Tribune, in 1910:

"I do regret the statement made, that there is no authentic picture of my father in existence, for this is a mistake... visit the capitol of Iowa, [you] will find a duplicate oil painting of Joseph Smith in one of the halls...
"There is an authentic oil painting... at Independence, Mo... this portrait... is sustained in it's characteristic likeness to my father by the daguerreotype in our possession, taken the same year, I think, by an artist by the name of Lucian Foster..." 2 (Letter to the Salt Lake Tribune, by Joseph Smith III- page 29)

scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5922&context=etd

I have numerous sources, read many statements by his sons, other than J.S. III, talking about "pictures" of Joseph Smith. Alexander Smith quoted Brigham Young- his Father's closest friend, as being upset with their mother for not sharing "pictures" of their Father Joseph Smith. The painting of Joseph Smith, owned and repeatedly photographed by Joseph Smith III, believed to be done by David Rogers, was done in 1842 and doesn't match paintings done by Sutcliffe Maudsley, reportedly done three months prior, as Maudsley depicted Joseph with a well receded hairline, whereas Rogers painted him with no hint of receding hairline (not possible to get MORE hair three months later, as Joseph wrote Rogers painted him in September 1842 and Maudsley in Spring 1842).

The painting, J.S. III references in his letter, was photographed and enclosed in his letter, to the Salt Lake Tribune. He mentions a duplicate oil painting in Iowa, which WOULD be different than the "authentic oil painting", was known to be photographed many times, causing much confusion today, as there ARE near exact copies of paper photos of the "RLDS painting", with SOME differences, maybe because there were TWO paintings done of Joseph, one in 1842 and another either late 1800s- or early 20ths century- that WAS commissioned by his son- JOseph Smith III- be a near exact duplicate of David Roger's painting... but WHICH painting to we have photographed today? It could either be the life painting- by Rogers, September 1842 (which isn't very accurate as it is drastically different from the MANY paintings done by Maudsley of Joseph). For example- Kim Marshall has a photograph of the "RLDS painting"- which she thinks is not of the painting- merely because there are some differences, however if her photo is of the painting- commissioned by Joseph Smith III- hanging in the capital of Iowa, it would be because it was not the original oil painting, but of the one commissioned by Joseph Smith III, and he doesn't specify WHICH oil painting was "sustained in it's characteristic LIKENESS" to his father, by looking at the daguerreotype of his father, but NOT painted solely by LOOKING at the daguerreotype- simply by using it as a reference to "edit" it- is my interpretation, as by 1910, humidity, travel damaged Roger's original oil painting!

In 2017 I bought the 1860s Carte de Visite, I had been studying for a year, of man, the seller told me (through facebook and to MILLIONS on the Juvenile Instructor website- as quoted by their staff), allegedly came from a Smith Family Photo Album. After a year of studying statements on the Juvenile Instructor Website, posting a "Fake Joseph", not even giving a moment's hesitation to consider it a possibility, I thought that it WAS possible, ironically not even knowing yet, that the location it was printed, was printed in the decade (1860s) and the county (Kendall County) that Joseph Smith III lived.

See below for my analysis of the CDV, of a man, allegedly from a Smith Family Album, compared the verified death mask of Joseph Smith.

I have worked hard on this website and now will post the pages of research, which has spanned nearly four years:

When I bought my image, I studied the clothing of the man in the image, to see if matched 1840s clothing, I believe it does:
www.plausiblephotographofjosephsmithjunior.com/1840s-clothing-styles.html

If my image could be of Joseph Smith, who died in 1844, I would need evidence that my image could be duplicated (AKA photographed) onto an 1860s Carte de Visite (which has been verified as such on the following page); evidence being that Emma Smith's 1845 daguerreotype was itself copied onto an 1860s CDV, professionals have verfied my image is most likely a copy of a daguerreotype, see my webpage for this:
www.plausiblephotographofjosephsmithjunior.com/1860s-carte-de-visite.html

The photograph artist, J.S. Bibbins, is Joseph Slocum Bibbins, born in Wilkesbarre, PA, 1821, he came with his family to Kendall County, Illinois, in 1838, with his father Elisha Bibbins. Elisha Bibbins taught Emma Smith when she a child. Only one Elisha Bibbins was reported in the well documented Methodist Circuit riders of the early 19th century, and Joseph Slocum Bibbins lived a mere ten miles from Joseph Smith III, who resided in Plano, when he was a working photographer in Newark, Illinois, in the 1860s. See the evidence here:
www.plausiblephotographofjosephsmithjunior.com/js-bibbins-the-photographic-artist.html

Stated above, I talk about how there are major differences between our most "popular" painting of Joseph, done by David Rogers, and the less popular- but much more numerous and likely MORE accurate depictions of Joseph from life, done by Maudsley:
www.plausiblephotographofjosephsmithjunior.com/josephs-1840s-hairstyle.html

The day after I bought my CDV, which I think is of Joseph Smith, I googled what Hyrum Smith looked like, cause- who knows, maybe he's hanging out watching all of us crazies?! Someone photoshopped an image of his Son Joseph Smith III very convincingly and convinced me- until I properly analyzed it... to his son's photograph and was sad, but had already posted a youtube video to the world, thinking it... wasn't fake, so I had to write about this- real fake photo:
www.plausiblephotographofjosephsmithjunior.com/fake-hyrum-smith-photo.html

I have studied images of Joseph Smith's sons, talked to descendants of Joseph Smith- some of whom agree, descendants look like the man in my CDV. See some of their images here:
www.plausiblephotographofjosephsmithjunior.com/photos-of-relatives.html

The possible... original photographer/daguerretypist of my image, is most likely Lucian Foster, as I actually show on my page about the CDV, it matches the background of Emma Smith's, done by Lucian Foster in 1845, there is no reason to NOT believe this photographer couldn't have done a daguerreotype of Joseph Smith, when he opened his own studio in August of 1844 and Joseph was alive almost all the end of the June 1844, no sane photographer wouldn't practice two FULL MONTHS prior to opening a new studio, to see if lighting was right, let alone practice on a man you are the campaign manager- of his Presidential Bid, information here:
www.plausiblephotographofjosephsmithjunior.com/lucian-foster--nauvoo-photographer.html

Video Below details the two artists that drew and or painted Joseph Smith from life and when:

Many believe the Carter and Library of Congress photos of Joseph Smith, sold in the late 1800s are not merely photos of the RLDS painting, but real photos. If you watch the video above, you will see the evidence of there being two paintings, one done possibly... by David Rogers, September 1842, and video below- shows how well the two different photos match to the David Rogers- forward facing painting and why I think it’s literally impossible for them to be photographs of a human.

Sources:
1: https://juvenileinstructor.org/daguerreotype-of-joseph-smith-wearing-the-urim-and-thummim-caution-this-will-disturb-you/
2: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5922&context=etd
3: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1984/01/from-the-prophets-life-a-photo-essay?lang=eng

It is pretty easy to see that my 1840s Illinois Man, is wearing 1840s Clothing, when you do proper research, see the video below, or my page about 1840s Clothing by clicking the three lines above, if on a cell phone, I have images from the Met Galla, fashion papers from the 1840s... Video shows men wearing 1840s clothing, and women... I have links to style magazines on my page about 1840s clothing (as Joseph Smith died in 1844, and his chance to get his daguerreotype taken by Lucien Foster occurred in Spring/Summer 1844, I think by 1844 Joseph did finally stop wearing popped up collars, although Sutcliffe Maudsley depicted him, in 1842, as wearing a popped up collar, in no way does that debunk my image as being the Plausible Image of Joseph Smith (included on that page is details of a vest known to have been worn by Joseph Smith that matches greatly, to the man in my CDV- is wearing).

1840s Illinois Smith Man, Compared to Joseph’s 1844 death Mask

The Eyebrows/One Heavier Eyelid

J.S. Jr's right eye (his left) has a very heavy/hooded eyelid, as seen from many angles of the death mask, but the left eyelid, his right, is more sunken in; as in- you can actually see the crease on his right eye lid to his right orbital bone, on the death mask; this is the same on my JS Jr photograph. I can also see similar lines and wrinkles below both men’s eyes. I bring up some full face shots of the death mask at different angle to portray how I could tell that the left eyelid, on the mask, is a hooded eyelid.

Broken and remodeled Nose

J.S. Jr's nose appeared to be the same width and to have the same bump on the upper left, near his right orbital bone (our left) and both appeared to have a badly set nose (from being broken):

LIP SHAPE

My Illinois guy- showed a similar upturn on the left side of the mouth and downturn on the right. When I superimposed this man's facial features onto the death mask I was shocked to see that although his lips were pursed (more evident when you look at the full photograph- the curved shadow indicates that he is certainly pursing his lips so he must have thicker lips than portrayed) though "thinner"- the outline of them matched, just the death mask showed slightly fuller lips

Another unique thing to note is that the image below left- shows a scar on his upper lip, going up at a slightly left turned angle, and well, I do see a similar line/scar on the death mask in the same spot:

His Chin

On the death mask and the photo were easy to see both chins protrude, and when superimposed, in my video, the distance from the bottom of the chin up, even the shadow under the chin looks the same: