Portraits were the most commonly produced type of photographs in the first decades of photography, comprising an estimated 95% of surviving daguerreotypes. Among these are some exquisite self-portraits, including what may have been the first daguerreotype made in America, the self-portrait of the Philadelphia metalworker-turned-photographer Robert Cornelius.
Although the daguerreotype was eventually replaced by other techniques, self-portraiture has remained one of the most interesting genres in photo history. It seems that from photography’s earliest days, there has been a natural tendency for photographers to turn the camera toward themselves.
Here is an interesting collection of amazing mirror self-portrait photos from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDA96LiBPy1ke9NaIHCFcIvAdxT747tZ-p49i75FWtHc0biNw42cNqGzXsHKVVXTG0QGTaZWq7vHpzdUhlBC_MGiyWQarjtuUdRCWFxRFu6qermlez81wLZDSnWrRCZ7uNzoJInGnTKrFj/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%25281%2529.jpg) |
Belgian painter Henri Evenepoel took a selfie, 1898 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsuRUPy2YE7hfHTfC6aRWjOh4KVP58rWyIckYg86iNEjeO4eyO6uw_Xh0AC7ztRKDyrofUv9MW9Q9tQ5yqgPqLtwCez6hjje1ZEDTI30ThmLMAWAKBT9bvuMflYID2q3loaoOxQdmsgs3/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%25282%2529.jpg) |
German fraternity mirror selfie, 1912 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuJjfJ5UzpKzwSD88KW1aYxX7aSTIKBfWG2i8i7G5TRxFh7x2c1266wsNNQYoPDlxFBXtolA2RUS3TMtSmSIfxokAv2v8ffwvlnlcCkoKQHCy4sdWAuEbvk1xVuSuIi6xB1ET812Tiqlk/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%25283%2529.jpg) |
Harold Cazneau who took this selfie in 1910 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIHUeC06zVck_aX-3yqABPzweQSCr7FerYioT1ZQxuvn-W8J_MCWcJjAAWhw026Chi5-MV2hdCxmeqmrl6dXl3vqw_N-_X_FujiZbjOYekGnq-QDn9DJkJYZF6Ek4LHDDxxZ_f-8q3gSn/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%25284%2529.jpg) |
Ilse Bing took her self portrait at the age of 14, Frankfort, 1913 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDH3-JpSHrDXvnG53_Gu2URcPAjh_u1Yo78Bjs0tkZo1EadzrlnvInHpTRwMlgCMWkx-VBzqcL3KVbZjjxppGriw2Hw9Rmpq20F6LYAWEU7j67tzUSTKF8TaZf22bOpW8_C6FqoHlsR8j/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%25285%2529.jpg) |
A young woman with her Kodet Cameras, ca. 1880s |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hiFkvoMzr0xphuF2uVq387pyeqkNeCJPOImPCwdqNVtqj_YGleu-jcdlpWDmK_i0x1t0wL1dfb7y5-XFrskPyYVhz2ijunJ9uXHXllZcuya3ovy_xuMLkQBfFMmy-TY9DsZQ7tXPTq9R/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%25286%2529.jpg) |
Luxembourgian-American photographer Edward Jean Steichen, 1917 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybSvdgkHuN51D2c9bmksYF9W_cYMSD5YDhiHbtj2YyoK8fLz2ixdXOkb1mywfUVybsOPJjs1Y31CrQtQaYDahYYIsiLn3z0iyyo24o5r9OYvnuekLclhV3x7oge0ff-ih9j3PGpETpNFm/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%25287%2529.jpg) |
Nasseredin Shah (King of Iran) selfie with his concubines, ca. 1800s |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY55rBvX94uF5CSJHapXKrX-lwfotD1Jt7NxQ1Vp5n84uxSEuMzV8IuexKNzfOEfmrAS4l3XCKxD45HJcLM7nzP8RBc46-rqCGDUNxskQ1zIvDM8VLSKL3MMsVri4wKCzsTzU46y6FSXCP/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%25289%2529.jpg) |
Self Portrait of Photgraphers in their Studio, 1890 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOA-LgWVrqvuskyPpEJ8hP87Pvv7E5w3ZaXLwIdzEz7NpKvEnyjxqNH4oHZzqUDMkKhXBc5fdFJyVDTE-90xaw6FMwrcJH9QmbBKymoJP4xpNJQYocBbucHSRXgZtoOLcyrwsrGgHr1Ko/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252810%2529.jpg) |
Russian princess Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna took a selfie in 1914 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWBGXHh4BLIcmHTSuEF_ZdtN4v0_2m13q988dYIJSlcgWmFddyVKchlaLNASb3isX6Q_EXY45yJOVOrSwwT9THD_FKkpHBKRYhtUZaGfWGlhfeAjrRL6uuqG6LTpNGFnCOM3X99C_R21C/s640-rw/Nikolaevna+shot+another+one+with+her+sister%252C+1915.jpg) |
Nikolaevna shot another one with her sister, 1915 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_UXUjzC8AHENXy8-RQvf2m_HV-2qNgfM-fBQmVTc7FelI2Q5_Xk65kzqPh_LbAHi4-k_VYGxWJMKU71QRwuHknIjX27mQMI1d-b9MmJ01TRs0fQDwzpqzFbvcJ8Cuqh4x94BvbptU2dk/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252811%2529.jpg) |
Selfie of an unknown man, ca. 1900s |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0krDkp4EpLvagfHu2OLpMdr5gNl4CnjNaFKCqwBAvpYrL6TScQKacLJDw0h_4WkFLjsRDiMdSbvMjI8Uu_wwSmqkI0XTHZLEjmkNOYmzTaI25dx2Fu7EbO4nSnH3oTvwVycajYZgajbz3/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252812%2529.jpg) |
Self-portrait of unidentified woman with her camera, ca. 1900s |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvSTwkXXcE_VHV-qyyd-c6q19cqKeQhplPmGQvTGCTiGl0dG80lQ5lk9zzjGMHLBn0tjMdHCmUwaSrHQbWEX76_WM6qYSzbteO1AI7A_vC2xwsAHkEzbwPVMe_O6yWKhJXXgZJSmP8weI/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252813%2529.jpg) |
Soldier Thomas Charles Richmond Baker took this selfie in 1917 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXCLWtngHZBX_s4qyvavfRQXaqQ71w-f4BdbCXCdr-0iLAESpU5dk6hZEkWNeOcu2eUXqifj3gBYw1h0_ON7mS7K1beNzlDxVs7LNcaFwcpl6tyHCugJCS49zIHVZ19MRuyl32kg4iDUs/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252814%2529.jpg) |
Swiss photographer Frédéric Boissonnas, 1900 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigu_kn3mmUWb5z665qv3yvCuTJxWBkQir7iJcfCcBU9_h9Y2mlf1wVBcEl7wwz-sQNlw2V0-Bq7MXDj3Fu8G31W5Nk8zBR_cVuWlGd8dXj8B-nxQINy19hTYywK_wlCP9rGO2usZRRzb7X/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252815%2529.jpg) |
Trooper George Simpson Millar took this selfie while shaving in the morning in Egypt, 1915 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayhiaa72zPwwqw_GzPGPQibhvzh1s2ltmbkcvxick_c9U3m8MhXBnu_9Fh59ppNaN_SNQ3MAKYve87Uu7rTX-WhkuJwyFU78tkWeab0t2cBGewaYvopNCIoFi8AmzJ6jW3eTWVUiR9w4C/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252816%2529.jpg) |
Young woman taking a photographic self portrait in Tallahassee, Florida, ca. 1900s |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8du2_0HK09qt9yCigT27kiDcBtJZSUD-oFKmWNHnxSMkxJCx6pbZxpEfDYDpuzmp5wx595zbyIqToirFXqAh2fjGLODsa-8C9D3Q6sCNehUQTNmkrC0_Td1O_zzl5PmnL4yZcbl8e7RCV/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252817%2529.jpg) |
An Unknown man took a self portrait with his wife, 1905 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFARtclgXY8oY4RrMNuTZ0Qd1hpulFZ5IskYhsy-xqgRLcgbNOD7y9yVuty9YgyJUGJFO4rBUzWngyEKkjChqArixlbt3aFfAuYTVTs2-oCcKoU9aFzNT-3Q_OKfUvHgLJITSiid5MvKQ5/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252818%2529.jpg) |
A young woman in a tinted blue dress and her camera are reflected in a large mirror, ca. 1900s |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYYlJEW-AYgtcpPfCO0GJVjnnqY9MRC3nLwqKn-nZDFpndqMxnwZhoJAxgNam3GxvA6IocCP7tFSGJ_u_fuS-77CjJZHJB0cxuSWEcOOL9fyO5LabIjgQDHoo5-fh3rgva5LDFXqOYePV/s640-rw/Mirror+Self+Portraits+from+the+Early+Days+of+Photography+%252819%2529.jpg) |
An early Edwardian woman in 1900 with a Kodak Brownie box camera |
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