#OnThisDay

21 June is #NationalSelfieDay. It’s a day to celebrate your selfie and your self too! The advent of mobile phone cameras, and the introduction of front facing camera technology within smart phones, has changed how we take images. And selfies have changed everything! But, did you know that the first selfie, was taken in 1839, without the use of a selfie stick, and is credited to Robert Cornelius? Whilst the term ‘selfie’ is a new one, taking your self portrait with a camera is not. Robert Cornelius was a pioneer of American photography, and produced one of the first daguerreotype (an image produced on a mirrored silver plate) images of himself. Hopefully you’ve got your best smile at the ready!

Find out what the smile has to do with Abraham Lincoln, Le Grande Thomas, and a portrait of a violinist, listen to our episode here!

Read our magazine post on Le Grande Thomas!