b. 27 April 1791; d. 2 April 1872
Samuel Morse was an accomplished American artist, particularly of miniatures, and an inventor. He studied at Yale University, and then came to England for art training under the direction of Benjamin West.
During his visit to France in 1838, Morse met Louis Daguerre, and they became good friends; Morse then became one of the first to practise using daguerreotypes in the United States, sharing a studio with John W. Draper, a chemistry expert. One of his students was Mathew Brady, who became one of the greatest documentary photographers. Morse's first portraits were made using exposures of between 10 and 20 minutes, which must have been an unbelievable ordeal to the sitters!
His pictures of his class reunion, taken in 1840, is the first known group portrait. Morse is more popularly known for the signalling code that bears his name, and his development of the electric telegraph.
© Robert Leggat, 1999.