You Have to See Some of the Oldest Photos of New Jersey

I have recently tumbled down a Library of Congress rabbit hole.

I know, I know, that doesn't sound like the coolest way to spend a day, but hear me out.

The Library of Congress is home to so many incredible images that give us a glimpse into what life was like hundreds of years ago.

It got me thinking, what are some of the oldest photos of New Jersey that are on the Library of Congress website?

The earliest known photograph was taken in either 1826 or 1827 in France.

Across the pond, the first photograph taken in the United States was in 1839. The photograph was taken next door to New Jersey in Pennsylvania.

As I scrolled through the years on the Library of Congress database, I tried to find the oldest photos they had accessible to the public without going all the way to D.C. to find the photos in person.

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The oldest photograph in New Jersey

The oldest photo I could find, and I should note that there may be an older one, but this is what I found, was taken in 1850.

Well, maybe.

The photograph is of Nassau Hall at Princeton University.

You can see some men in the distance, at the gate and leaving the hall.

The creation/publication date ranges between 1850 and 1855. So while I am labeling this as the oldest photo, the next photo may actually be older.

Nassau Hall is the oldest building at Princeton University, built in 1756. At the time of its construction, it was the largest building in New Jersey and the largest academic building in the colonies.

The next oldest photo is from 1854.

...ish...

There is a question mark next to 1854 under Created/Published.

The photo is of a man, sitting on a grave, posed next to the grave of Former Vice President and dueling wonder Aaron Burr.

Burr died in 1836 and was buried at Princeton Cemetary in Princeton New Jersey.

The photo is a little odd.

Why was the man casually posing on another grave next to Aaron Burr's headstone?

Why did he place his top hat next to him for the photo?

What was the purpose of this photo?

I have a lot of questions.

It should be noted that while the popular Broadway musical Hamilton sort of paints Burr also as a victim in the famous Hamilton/Burr duel, he was later arrested and on trial multiple times for treason because he "allegedly" tried to form his own country down south in Alabama.

Do with that information what you will...

If you love history, you may also want to see what Asbury Park looked like in the early 1900s.