A team of local historians have uncovered what they believe to the be the oldest surviving photograph of Colorado. The photo is a daguerreotype taken in 1853, and predates the 1876 formation of Colorado as a state by over 20 years.
This discovery is all thanks to History Colorado, whose historians decided to find the oldest photograph of Colorado as a way to celebrate the state’s 150th birthday next year. The photo itself depicts a Cheyenne village near present-day Lamar, Colorado. Two people, situated next to four large tipis, face the camera. It was taken by Solomon Nunes Carvelho, and is the only surviving photograph from this expedition of his.
Born in South Carolina to a Portuguese-Jewish family, Carvalho became a daguerreotype expert after originally studying to be a portrait painter. He had galleries that displayed his oil paintings and daguerreotypes alike. In 1853, Carvalho was approached by Colonel John C. Frémont to explore the Western territories with him.
The main goal of the expedition was to photograph the landscape and conditions near the 38th parallel, to show that it was a choice for possible transcontinental railroad expansion. It’s likely that Frémont wanted to bring Carvalho along for his daguerreotype expertise, as it was a tricky process that could easily be complicated by conditions such as freezing temperatures.
Despite these environmental challenges, Carvalho brought along all his clunky equipment and was successful in capturing various details for Frémont. His person suffered, however, in the harsh conditions of the expedition. Carvalho experienced frostbite, starvation, and even scurvy. While he eventually made it out to California, all but one of Carvalho’s daguerreotypes were lost to a fire that occurred later on in his life.
Besides being a historic record of Colorado, Carvalho’s daguerreotype is also an important visual record of the Indigenous communities that have been living in America long before it was even called that. Sam Bock, director of interpretations and publications at History Colorado, says: “This image is really an image of a moment in transition. It shows us the Indigenous people of the lands living in the ways that had been handed down to them…but it also shows the massive upheaval that these people were about to endure.”
This impressive discovery not only deepens Colorado’s photographic history, but also strengthens our understanding of the people and landscapes that shaped it. As the state prepares to celebrate its 150th birthday, Carvalho’s image stands out as both a rare artifact and an important reminder of the complex beginnings of Colorado’s story.
Local historians have found the oldest known photo of Colorado, in preparation for the state’s 150th birthday next year.
The photo is a daguerreotype taken in 1853 by Solomon Nunes Carvalho. Since Colorado didn’t become a state until 1876, Carvalho’s photo predates the actual state by 22 years.
The photographer’s image depicts a Cheyenne village near present-day Lamar, Colorado. Two people situated next to four tipis at the edge of a wood face the picture plane.
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The image is not only a remarkable historical find, but also a reminder of the complex beginnings of Colorado’s story.
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Sources: Historians say they’ve identified the oldest known photo taken in Colorado. Here’s what the image reveals
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