They died around 150 years ago after likely living through one of the most tumultuous events in U.S. history; the American Revolution.
But they themselves have now become part of history after their portrait photographs – the earliest ever to be taken – were colorized to bring back to life their New York world of the 1840s
The incredible set of images, believed to have been taken by legendary early American photographer Matthew Brady, show a selection of 12 portraits taken as daguerreotype images.
For a long time this portrait was misidentified as being one of Susan B. Anthony, a pioneer crusader for the women's suffrage movement in the United States and president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. This theory was recently disproven and the real identity of the woman photographed remains unknown
It is likely that these two men were born around the time of the early years of the United States. Daguerreotypes were very expensive, so only the wealthy could afford to have their portrait taken in this form
The pictures, such as this one of a couple, reveal the faces of some of the very first people to be photographed. The portraits were often created at the very top of buildings where there was as much light as possible coming through the windows
That was first ever form of photography which involved producing a single image on a silver copper plate before sealing it behind glass for preservation.
The 1840s presented a significant time in America's history, and the people pictured would very likely have lived through the American Revolution and possibly even the Civil War.
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The set of images was restored into color for the very first time by professional colorizer Matt Loughrey, who says he finds daguerreotypes a fascinating form of photography.
'Daguerreotypes are a scientific art form,' he says.
'They represent the advent of photography and have produced some stunning fine art photography that exists through the ages.
'What strikes me most about them is the time line. To think of world events that were yet to take place at the time these daguerreotypes were taken. I ask myself how these subjects saw their world.
'Outside of that I see that dentistry seemed to be an issue back then, as is sun damage to skin.'
Two women with wizened faces pose in the 1840s.The subject would be sat down on a posing chair placed on a raised platform which could be rotated to face the light
Professional colorizer Matt Loughrey says he is fascinated by daguerreotype photography. It was a delicate and complex process which required a lot of patience by the subject and photographer
The woman on the left appears to have lost her teeth while the portrait on the right shows the effect of laboring on awoman's hands. Clamps were sometimes used to hold the subject's face in position so the photographer could capture the best image
This woman dressed in a bonnet doesn't not appear to be too impressed by posing for what was then the new art of photography. The finished daguerreotype would often be handed to the customer for closer inspection
A magnifying glass was often used by customers to inspect the finer details of the finish product because the portraits were often very small
The process of daguerreotype was the first ever publicly available method of photography, and was hugely popular after being unveiled to the public by French inventor Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre in 1839.
They were very expensive, so only the wealthy could afford to have their portrait taken in this form.
Posing chairs and head clamps: The delicate process of making a daguerreotype
The subject is taken to a room at the top of the photographer's studio where there is lots of light.
They sit down on a posing chair on a raised platform and their head is put into a clamp to keep it still.
An assistant polishes a silver-coated copper plate with a long buffer until the surface is highly reflective.
The highly polished plate is then taken into the darkroom, where it is sensitized with chemicals.
The operator places the sensitized plate into a camera placed on a high shelf.
When the sitter is ready the operator removes the camera cover and times the required exposure with a watch.
The exposed plate is returned to the darkroom where the photographic image on the silvered plate is 'brought out' with the fumes from heated mercury.
The photographic image is 'fixed' by bathing the plate in hyposulphate of soda.The photographic plate with the daguerreotype image is then washed in distilled water and dried.
Finally, the finished daguerreotype portrait is covered by a sheet of protective glass and is either mounted in a decorative frame or presented in a leather-bound case and offered to the customer for close inspection.
Source: Sussex PhotoHistory
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This particular set of images shows some of the first people ever captured by some form of photography, and Matt says it is this that he finds most intriguing about them.
'Although these pictures are of unknown persons, they will have been alive in the 1700s, and will have seen the American Revolution and indeed the advent of the Gold Rush.
'They are the oldest generation of human beings to be photographed.'
Included in the collection is picture from early photographic firmSouthworth and Hawes, who were based in Boston.
'The Southworth and Hawes image is arguably the finest daguerreotype taken that has survived until now, and it too is unseen in color.
'She is unknown, but was for a time mistaken the world over for women's rights activist 'Susan B. Anthony', though this was recently disproved.
'This is indeed a journey back in time over 170 years, in actual fact the advent of the Gold Rush.'
