Most people think that selfies are a new phenomenon, but they have been around since the beginnings of photography. American photographer Robert Cornelius took a daguerreotype of himself in 1839.

As technology advanced, photographers, both professional and amateur, figured out new ways to take self-portraits. The mirror was a popular medium for the selfie. Even the ill-fated Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia took her own photo in a mirror in 1914.

Therefore, it was not surprising that the prolific Booth family photographer Henry Scripps Booth sought a way to take self-portraits. When using something like a Folding Kodak camera, Henry would have “tied a long string to the shutter release so that some member of the group could pull the string and thus make the exposure while remaining in the picture.” (Kodakery: A Journal for Amateur Photographers.)

Here are two examples of Henry’s technique in action:

Henry Booth and Carolyn Farr, titled, “‘The End’ (note the string) 1924,” Pleasures of Life (POL 7.78.3)

The Booth Family Fourth of July picnic, titled, “Thistle pulls the string – Indipendance [sic] Day 1925”, Pleasures of Life (POL 8.13.1)

– Leslie Mio, Assistant Registrar