Photographs of the Prophet Joseph Smith?
Several photographs have been circulating online, each one claiming to be THE photograph of Joseph Smith. Let’s take a look at some of them:
The Scannel Daguerreotype
Is this Joseph Smith or Stuart?
A few years ago, I was in Nauvoo when S. Michael Tracy, author of the book Millions Shall Know Brother Joseph Again, gave a power-point presentation on a possible photograph of Joseph Smith that had surfaced within the Community of Christ.
In the presentation, S. Michael Tracy laid out numerous points of study that had gone into the photograph to determine its authenticity. Although the research was exhaustive, interesting and very thorough, neither the Community of Christ nor a team of LDS scholars were able to determine, for certain, that the man in the daguerreotype is Joseph Smith.
The image has come to be known as the “Scannel Daguerreotype.”
Joseph Smith’s Doppelganger?
Possible Joseph Smith Photo?
In October of 2007, another daguerreotype of a man who looked like Joseph Smith was widely circulated through the website LDS Anarchy. While this man certainly looks a lot like Joseph Smith, there is little to no research to back it up. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty good look alike, don’t you think?
Photograph of Brigham Young and Joseph Smith?
Joseph Smith with Brigham Young?
In looking for other likely photographs of Joseph Smith, I stumbled across this possible contender. The claim is that it is Brigham Young and Joseph Smith standing side by side. Click here for a more detailed description of the research behind and origin of this daguerreotype.
Photograph of Joseph Smith or Alexander Holmes Stuart?
Is this the only known photograph of Joseph Smith?
I was recently made aware of yet another photograph. At first glance, I was very nearly convinced that it was Joseph Smith. But, after reading Ardis Parshall’s article on The Times and Seasons, I learned that it is also believed to be a photograph of Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart, a man who served as United States Secretary of the Interior between 1850 and 1853.
That aside, there are a number of people who sincerely believe that this is indeed a photograph of the Prophet. And while the demeanor of the man in this photograph intrigues me more than the others…why is “Stuart” etched in the right-hand corner?
“Stuart” etched in the corner.
So is there a real “photograph of Joseph Smith?”
I have just shown you a series of alleged photographs of the Prophet Joseph Smith. All of them are completely different and yet all of them claim to be “the one.”
So what are we to make of all of this? What does it all mean?
Frankly, what Joseph Smith looked like does not matter when it comes to a gaining a personal testimony of the Prophet. Countless people who actually met the Prophet gave descriptions of him being a man larger than life (in appearance and in deed). While others that met him expressed their disappointment in finding “just a man” (and a young man at that)!
Prophets in the Bible faced similar challenges: Moses struggled in speech (Exodus 6:30), Samuel was but a boy when he was called to be a prophet (1 Samuel 3), Elisha was mocked for being bald (2 Kings 2:23), Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children, and John the Baptist lived in the wilderness and ate wild locusts and honey!
And Isaiah gives us this stunning sentiment about the Savior: “he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2).
Clearly, the physical appearance of prophets, apostles (and the Savior Himself) are of little importance when compared to the overwhelming need for each of us to gain our own personal, spiritual witness of their callings. Spiritual knowledge of eternal truths are far more important than temporal appearances.
Click on the video below to learn about Joseph Smith’s Last Dream…
Additional Resources of Interest:
Joseph Smith Jr. A True Photograph of the LDS Prophet
The Much Rumored Joseph Smith Daguerreotype
25 Comments on “Photographs of the Prophet Joseph Smith?”
Leave a Reply
Top Posts & Pages
I really like this post. It definitely peaked my interest! I wish there was a way to verify if any of the pictures are actually Joseph Smith!
The Photo of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young is very credible when compared to Joseph’s death mask, and the description of relative sizes and ages of the two of them. The Scannel Daguerreotype looks like one of Joseph’s descendents, but doesn’t have the physique that he was typically described as having by many of his contemporaries and is missing the stronger features in his death mask. I love seeing this picture of the two of them! Thanks for gathering these for our consideration!
BTW, Joseph’s death mask shows several scars and swollen areas that probably came from the mob attack that took his life. Look closely at it and you will see swelling on his nose and under the right eye. This makes it harder to compare with his regular features, but the picture of him and Brigham young looks very much like this only without the trauma, wouldn’t you say?
http://www.photographfound.com/
Daguerreotype was not common until after 1839 which would put JS in his mid 30s. This image is obviously of a very young man, mid 20s at most.
Maybe my relative knows the source. If my memory is right he showed me a picture of Joseph Smith when I was a child, I was surprised at how different and pleasant he looked, yet recently they sent me that same picture you have, a short time ago. I do not remember if its the same picture. My father's grandmother's grandfather is Joseph Smith.
The original photograph on which the library of congress daquerreotype was based has been discovered:http://josephsmithjrphoto.blogspot.com/
Seth,I am trying to get ahold of you to check into the possibility of getting a copy of your “I believe in Christ” video for a stake relief society ward conference presentation on January 11. Could you please contact me asap and let me know if it is a possibility?dennis10142@earthlink.netThank you so much.
The technology for this type of picture was not around till Joseph was between 32 – 36 years old and the person in the picture is much younger than that…It is not the Prophet !!!
This is great info to know.
I would like to offer a very differentperspective on the Joseph and BrighamDaguerreotype. When I first viewedthe Joseph he seemed a bit rough andtoo ragged. All my life I have viewedthe artisticly “pretty” paintings anddrawings of Joseph. As I magnifiedthe face to get a better close-up,I was absolutely shocked and stunned!I was looking at my FAMILY! Joseph really DOES LOOK LIKE MYFAMILY?I thought “My gosh… HE reallydid look like US!” WOW!Here’s the catch. My 2nd Grt Grandfather is Jesse N Smith (Joseph’s cousin). Jesse was living with Joseph and familyin the Nauvoo Mansion till themartyrdom.I have lived all of my life aroundthe direct descendents of Josephand Hyrum. That guy standing nextto Brigham in the photo LOOKS JUST LIKE MY:BROTHERMOM UNCLE JOHNCOUSIN JOHNNYGRANDPA SILASGRANDPA JESSEETCTo further illustrate how amazingthis all is. My brother Joseph arrivedfor a visit about 20 minutes afterI first saw this photo.I showed him the photo and he was also STUNNED!Now I need to further state that Ido have a real leg up on what Joseph Smith REALLY looked like.The only really accurate images wehave of the prophet are of hisprofile. That much has been universally agreed upon by thehistorians and scholars.Since my brother Joseph has gottenolder he has taken on the barrelchest and broad shoulders of hisnamesake. But that’s not all.When Joe turns to the side and hisprofile is viewed, his face isEXACTLY like the REAL DEAL in allthose historical prints you’ve seen!So…in comes Joe to my computerscreen and it’s frontal face comparison time. And…my Joe looks like he could be a twinto the Photo on my computer screen. Not an identical twin…but still a twin.My cousin John is even closer looking than my brother to thePhoto.But the most amazing resemblence of all comes from a photo of myMom taken when she was 9 yrs old.She appears to be a genetic femaleclone of the guy in the photo.EVERY FACIAL FEATURE IS PERFECTLYMATCHED. INCLUDING THE EXACT SAMETHIN HAIR AND HAIRLINE IN THE PICTURE!I have the photos of my family described here and I will gladlyEmail them to anyone interested.As you’ll see… the Smith’s havea very distinct look to them thatis a little bit different fromother families (actually a bit ofa strange rough look)!And that guy in the Photo next toBrigham? HE’S A SMITH!BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT THEPROPHET JOSEPH REALLY DOES LOOKLIKE….ALL HIS FAMILY!IT’S AN EERIE FEELING TO SEE THATTHE PROPHET OF THE RESTORATION ANDTHE LAST DISPENSATION IS A NORMALLOOKING SMITH FAMILY MEMBER! WHO’DDAA THUNK IT? (YOGI BERA qUOTE) MY EMAIL:1NELSON@PRODIGY.NET.MX
Although there is a likeness here I question it for a couple of reasons. Brother Joseph’s hair was known to be thin and fine not thick and full as in this photo. The Prophets hair was light in color and this photo it looks dark or black. The eyes look strikingly blue not blue green. The main thing I noticed is that every discription of the prophet Joseph states he had wide broad square shoulders. This man does not portray that image in the least. This is not brother Joseph but I believe the true and real image of him is found here http://www.josephsmithphoto.com . I personally met the man who found this picture today as I listened to him play an old piano in DI. I was amazed and stopped to listen for some time. He said I can teach you how to play in ten minutes. It was amazing. He told me his father played music for the old silent films. As I started to leave he told me he had something for me. He gave me a print of the photograph. Immediately I was captivated by the eyes that looked back at me. When he told me it was Brother Joseph I knew in my heart it had to be. But a skeptic at heart I looked up info on the death mask and prayed about it and now I have no doubt that this is an image of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Decide for yourself but I need no more convincing. If you still question it who else do you know that would be portrayed to side of and in front of Brigham Young but the Prophet Joseph Smith?
Nice comment Satanist advocate. If you will actually study the Prophet Joseph, you will find out that Joseph is the one person, other that Christ and God, that Satan fears! It’s obvious in the First Vision. Consider first what satanic attributes are before making such claims. In my opinion, for whatever it’s worth, the Prophet Joseph Smith doesn’t need a self portrait to portray his life. Infact, his actions and loyalty to God, as demonstrated here on earth, portray more vividly who he is and was better than any picture or painting could ever illustrate. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints today, is a portrait worthy of Joseph’s cause.Thanks for sharing the photo. I can’t wait to see the Prophet Joseph some day and have a fun wrestle him.
http://www.comevisit.com/lds/js3photo.htmThis is Joseph and he looks like an alien. Matter of fact, that is exactly what he was, and he came to Earth to amass all of the idiots who now comprise part of LDS. LDS is just a group of Satanists and people who made up their own religion!
Well, I perhaps haven’t studied this as much as most, but I would say “Carson, yes”, and “Scannel, no”.One thing everyone should keep in mind is that painting was more “state of the art” in the early days of photography. That is, a photo can be pretty stark… and it was likely difficult and expensive to work with. One reason for taking a photograph was certainly to provide a painter something to work with!The Carson image is 3D. I can see it myself. No less than the Eastman Kodak company has stated the same… when presented a poster size image of the Carson image, they stated that it was a photograph of a three dimensional person.If the Carson image matches a painting, I believe the painting was created from the photograph. Not the other way around! I’d like to see full poster size prints of each… with that I could easily prove this.Cliff Warren, Pocatello Idaho, cliffwarren@yahoo.com
After looking at every possible representation of my beloved Prophet, this is the only one that strongly feels like it can’t be Him. It doesn’t have many similarities to the death mask. It just does not feel right to me.
I am a professional portrait sculptor, I have studied the Joseph Smith Death Mask ,and the Scannel Daguerreotype, I can tell you this, they match, and trust me I have sculpted many a celebrity, actors etc.I am positive the images is that of Joseph Smith, a TRUE Propheth of the Lord, and I am so happy for this discovery.
3-dman, you’re id name is apropos and I’ll tell you why. You state most researchers have concluded that the Carson daguerrotype is a “doctored up photo of the Oil painting found in the RLDS visitor center.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. If you study the Carson daguerreotype closely there are 3-D qualities about it that an artist cannot reproduce! Also, there are scars on the lip and eyebrow that are clearly visible to the eye and anyone who has a working knowledge of painting portraits knows that artists would not include such imperfections in the portrait. Go to: http://www.comevisit.com/lds/js3photo.htmand you will see the convincing evidence showing the Carson daguerreotype to be exactly what it claims to be- an actual photographic image of the Prophet Joesph Smith. Also, the clothing in the photograph above is from the 1850′s and 60′s, not the 1840′s. THis alone proves that it could not be the Prophet Joseph.
Bradey said….3-dman, you’re id name is apropos and I’ll tell you why. You state most researchers have concluded that the Carson daguerrotype is a “doctored up photo of the Oil painting found in the RLDS visitor center.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. If you study the Carson daguerreotype closely there are 3-D qualities about it that an artist cannot reproduce! Also, there are scars on the lip and eyebrow that are clearly visible to the eye and anyone who has a working knowledge of painting portraits knows that artists do not include such imperfections portrait. Go to: http://www.comevisit.com/lds/js3photo.htmand you will see the convincing evidence showing the Carson daguerreotype to be exactly what it claims to be- an actual photographic image of the Prophet Joesph Smith. Also, the clothing in the photograph above is from the 1850′s and 60′s, not the 1840′s. THis alone proves that it could not be the Prophet Joseph.
A year and a half ago, I attended a presentation by the author of “Millions Shall Know Brother Joseph Again,” Shannon Tracy, before he published his book. After reviewing a good portion of his research with the group, he showed the Scannel Daguerreotype. My first reaction was not in favor. However, by that point in his presentation, Mr. Tracy had convinced me of the authenticity of the remains of Joseph and Hyrum that had been disinterred and photographed by the RLDS church some years ago. He then did an overlay of the Scannel Daguerreotype image on top of the photograph taken of Joseph’s skull. I was shocked! I found myself entirely convinced that the image was a true photographic likeness of the prophet. I felt thrilled for days afterward and craved the opportunity to see it again. I continue to believe the Scannel Daguerreotype is what it is purported to be. I was so skeptical in the beginning, I wouldn’t expect anyone else to believe it right away — at least not until they are able to see what I have seen. I have not flipped through Shannon Tracy’s book, but I would guess it includes a discussion of biometrics and how they are used for identification purposes by the FBI. Shannon Tracy discussed them during the presentation I attended. In my mind, the number of biometric “matches” between the death mask, the photograph of Joseph’s skull and the Scannel Daguerreotype is one of the more convincing arguments in favor of this image.
The photo that you are referring to in the beginning of this blog is called the “Scannel Daguerreotype” You can see all the research around this Photo in a new released book Called “Millions Shall Know Brother Joseph Again”. This book can be found at Seagull book and online at http://shop.ldsrestorations.com/main.sc).Some research on the Image that is in the Library of Congress (now know as the Carson Daguerreotype) is found on this page. http://www.josephsmithpainting.com/research.html.This page has a flash file that shows the fading between the oil and the photo, split in half which shows that they are one in the same. By almost all researchers that have looked into this image, they determined that this image in the Library of Congress is just a doctored up photo of the Oil painting found in the RLDS visitor center. That image was taken out to Utah by Joseph Smith the III and shown around as an image of his father and later Carter purchased the rights to reproduce it and renamed it a photo of Joseph. Others have made changes and versions of the image over the years.The new image, the “Scannel Daguerreotype” has been in the RLDS archives since 1965 and is only recently researched in the past 15 years. Cliff, in looking to discover the truth it is always best to review the full facts in a case before determining or stating a comment from only partial information. Before you discount this new image I would invite you to fully review the current information from the source of the research rather than just propagating old and inaccurate facts that are no longer true or relevant. Much is still out there to research on this new image and all open minded people are invited to come to the challenge to explore the facts and contribute to the venture. Seth, do not be defused, you are on the right track.
The only photo I have seen that rings true to me is on http://www.josephsmithphoto.com It is not an image that I expected to see of the prophet, but after looking at the death mask and checking the descriptions of Joseph from the early saints made me take another look with an open mind. There are actually two individuals in the photo. One is confirmed to be Brigham Young – thats cool – the other individual is for everyones own interpretations. But for me… the shoulders of that individual are the only shoulders that I have seen that match what I have read about Joseph from the people who met him and wrote his description. There is a short little video on that site too that shows how the photo was found.
Seth,I’ve seen the actual photo of Joseph Smith, and THIS is not it! I’d say, check the Library of Congress…This, this is not even close to the image “quality” of a daguerrotype. This is some guy sitting down with probably a digital camera and later photoshopping it up to make it look old. Sorry, but it’s not even close.Like I say, I don’t want to burst your bubble, but this sort of thing only adds to the confusion out there. The real photo is actually quite amazing. It adds to my testimony of the prophet. You can see where he took some lumps in defense of the faith! This guy, whoever he is, hasn’t taken the lumps, but maybe he should? (just kidding)Regards, Cliff Warren, Pocatello Idaho cliffwarren@yahoo.com
I have a little experience with this photo. The first time I saw this image was at the house of the Mormon artist Gary Earnest Smith. His daughter was in may student ward at the University of Utah. For a Family Home Evening we went to his studio and he shared with us the current project he was working on. He had been commissioned by the RLDS church to restore this photograph and do some paintings based on his photographic restoration. The original photo was actually fairly deteriorated, (you can find images of it on the web too). He did a digital restoration of the original pixel by pixel. Along with some analysis comparing the death masks with this photo. Two things make me think this is really a photo of Joseph, the eyebrows, which are a bit uneven, and the area just below the lip. Compared to the death masks they are pretty close to the same.
Seth, I’ve seen this photo before (within the last year or so) but I was wondering where you came across it. Also, do you have any source on the confidence of LDS archivists that this may be Joseph? I have read another similar comment but no one is citing sources. Thanks.