Joseph Saxton

Joseph Saxton (March 22, 1799 – October 26, 1873) was an American inventor, watchmaker, machinist, and photographer from Pennsylvania.

[1] Joseph Saxton was born in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and first entered as an apprentice to a watchmaker when he was twelve years old.

[4] During this time, he made his first inventions: a machine for cutting the teeth of marine chronometer wheels and an escapement and compensating pendulum for clocks.

For most of his stay he was employed by the Adelaide Gallery of Practical Science, a museum for the public that demonstrated new inventions and scientific principles.

There were earlier photographs taken in the United States by the calotype process during spring 1839 and daguerreotypes in September of that year.

[9][10][11] The image was taken from the window of his office at the Philadelphia Mint and captured the cupola of Central High School and a portion of the State Armory building.

[12] In 1843 he was awarded the John Scott Legacy Medal and Premium by the Franklin Institute for the invention of his reflecting pyrometer.