Leavitt Hunt (1830-1907), a scholar from a notable Vermont family, and Nathan Flint Baker (1820-1891), a sculptor from Cincinnati, were the first Americans to make photographs in Egypt, the Holy Land, and Greece. Working together on this endeavor, their accomplishments are noteworthy not only as a story associated with photographic history but also in the consideration of the use of new imaging technologies in antebellum America. The paper images that they created between October 1851 and June 1852 were informed by the first photographic circles in Paris and Rome, but were new and unfamiliar forms of communication at the time in the United States. These photographs of ancient sites were seen by the pair not only as personal mementoes but also artistic creations that they could potentially market and share with family members and colleagues.

This presentation will discuss Baker and Hunt’s lives and present many of the photographs that survive from their trip. These two individuals were pioneers, yet also reflected the creative and adventurous spirit inherent among many in the middle of the nineteenth century. The once limited world of the prior generations was expanding and becoming more available for personal experience, with resources and new tools allowing many others to then learn and benefit from these encounters. In working with chemicals and paper to make impressions from their voyage together, Hunt and Baker have indeed allowed us to consider the wonders of the past anew.