Josiah Johnson Hawes

Josiah Johnson Hawes was an American photographer who, along with Albert Sands Southworth, formed the firm Southworth & Hawes. They were renowned for their exceptional daguerreotypes produced in the mid-19th century. Unlike many contemporaries, Southworth and Hawes focused on capturing the individual character of their sitters through spontaneous portraits and creative use of light, rather than relying on contrived poses or backdrops.1

Both men were inspired to become daguerreotypists after independently viewing the first daguerreotype brought to the United States in 1840. They learned the process and opened their Boston studio in 1843. Their high-quality work attracted prominent Americans of the era. The partnership dissolved in 1861 when Southworth's health declined.1