IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Artist
James Maguire, 1816 - 1851
Sitter
Zachary Taylor, 24 Nov 1784 - 9 Jul 1850
Date
c. 1847
Type
Photograph
Medium
Half-plate daguerreotype
Dimensions
Image: 11.9 × 8.9 cm (4 11/16 × 3 1/2")
Case Open: 17.6 × 29.8 × 1 cm (6 15/16 × 11 3/4 × 3/8")
Case Closed: 17.6 × 14.8 × 2 cm (6 15/16 × 5 13/16 × 13/16")
Topic
Costume\Dress Accessory\Button\Brass
Zachary Taylor: Male
Zachary Taylor: Politics and Government\President of US
Zachary Taylor: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\War of 1812
Zachary Taylor: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Mexican War
Zachary Taylor: Congressional Gold Medal
Portrait
Place
United States\Louisiana\Orleans\New Orleans
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.2010.116
Exhibition Label
Born Orange County, Virginia
Nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready” for his unpolished demeanor and his courage under fire, General Zachary Taylor was a seasoned commander by 1846, when hostilities erupted between the United States and Mexico. Taylor’s decisive victories at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterrey, and Buena Vista earned him popular recognition as the hero of the Mexican-American War and propelled him to victory in the 1848 presidential election. Eager to unify the nation, Taylor instead contributed to sectional tensions by adamantly opposing the extension of slavery into the western territories. He died unexpectedly in 1850 after only sixteen months in office.
This daguerreotype was most likely made in November 1847, when Zachary Taylor returned to a hero’s welcome in New Orleans after the U.S. victory in the Mexican-American War. It represents Taylor in his major general’s uniform and is an original portrait from life. This is evident from the daguerreotype’s lateral reversal, or “mirror image,” which causes Taylor’s jacket to appear to button right-over-left rather than left-over-right. Reproduced and widely circulated in the form of engravings and lithographic prints, this image of the general proved enormously popular. Daguerreotype copies in several formats were also produced.
Nacido en Orange County, Virginia
Apodado “Old Rough and Ready” (rudo pero efectivo) por su modales toscos y su valentía en el campo de batalla, el general Zachary Taylor era ya un líder experimentado en 1846, cuando estallaron las hostilidades entre Estados Unidos y México. Sus decisivas victorias en Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterrey y Buena Vista lo dieron a conocer como el héroe de la llamada Guerra entre Estados Unidos y México, impulsándolo hacia el triunfo en las elecciones presidenciales de 1848. Deseoso de unificar a la nación, Taylor terminó sin embargo por agudizar las tensiones divisorias con su férrea oposición a la extensión de la esclavitud hacia los territorios del oeste. Murió súbitamente en 1850, a solo dieciséis meses de haber accedido a la presidencia.
Este daguerrotipo se tomó posiblemente en noviembre de 1847, cuando Zachary Taylor fue recibido como un héroe en New Orleans, luego de la victoria estadounidense en la guerra con México. En este retrato original, tomado del natural, Taylor aparece con su uniforme de general mayor. Se advierte que el daguerrotipo es un original por la inversión lateral de la imagen, como en un espejo, que hace ver como si la chaqueta de Taylor abotonara del lado contrario (parte derecha sobre la izquierda). Esta imagen del general, reproducida y distribuida ampliamente en grabados y litografías, resultó popularísima. También se hicieron copias en daguerrotipo en diversos formatos.
