John Plumbe

"He studied civil engineering while still in his late teens and by 1829 was surveying sites for future railroad routes in the southern and eastern portions of the country.

"[3] Plumbe reasoned that a transcontinental railroad "would hasten the formation of dense settlements throughout the whole extent of the road, advance the sales of the public lands, afford increased facilities to the agricultural, commercial and mining interests of the country...and enable the government to transport troops and munitions of war.

[3] In a short period of time, Plumbe established a string of daguerreotype studios and galleries, all bearing his name.

"[1] Others who learnt photographic arts through the Plumbe franchise included Ezra Chase, Samuel Masury, C.S.

"[11] Plumbe entered his photographic work in several exhibitions, including: In 1846 he founded the National Publishing Company which produced the weekly Popular Magazine (Augustine J.H.

[16] In 2024, the National Portrait Gallery obtained a daguerreotype of Dolley Madison, taken about 1846 by Plumbe, that is the earliest known photograph of any U.S. First Lady.