Alexander S. Wolcott (original) (raw)

Alexander Simon Wolcott (June 14, 1804 – November 10, 1844) was an American inventor, experimental photographer, and medical supply manufacturer. With John Johnson, he established the world's first commercial photography portrait studio and patented the first U.S. camera. The camera used a concave mirror to focus the available light onto a photosensitive plate smaller than a 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) square; the size of the plate was eventually increased to 2 inches (50.8 mm) due to improved lighting techniques. The pictures projected onto the plate were positive images and did not require reversal to correct. Wolcott opened various franchise photography studios as a business throughout the United States and England.