Listen "Dolley Madison Daguerreotype by John Plumbe, Jr."
Episode Synopsis
In this episode of 'Why They Put That in a Museum,' hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss a rare 1846 daguerreotype of Dolley Madison recently acquired by National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. Dolley Madison was the wife of the fourth U.S. President, James Madison. What is a daguerreotype? To answer that question, they do a quick overview of early photography and some of the inventor-artists who got this technology started using glass and silver-plated copper sheets. What’s cool about this portrait was that it was almost lost to time. It was discovered in a basement! Then it was sent to auction where it sold at 4 times the asking price. Why is it so valuable? Listen to the fascinating story of this unique and beautiful image of one of the most beloved First Ladies in US history. Daguerreotype of Dolley Madison: Early Photography. Send us ideas & feedback.© 2025 Why'd They Put That In A Museum podcast hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees.
More episodes of the podcast Why'd They Put That In A Museum?
Where's the Café?
25/10/2025
Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirror Rooms, Part 2
18/10/2025
Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirror Rooms, Part 1
11/10/2025
Rembrandt Artist In His Studio
04/10/2025
Marcel Duchamp Bicycle Wheel
27/09/2025
Edvard Munch: The Scream
20/09/2025
Crystal Z. Campbell
13/09/2025
Vivian Maier, American photographer
15/03/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.