The Face of Joseph: A 17-Year Search for the True Photographic Image of Joseph Smith Jr.: Death Mask Comparison of Larsen Daguerreotype with Joseph and Hyrum Smith

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Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Death Mask Comparison of the Larsen Daguerreotype with Joseph and Hyrum Smith

Many have speculated whether an actual photo of Joseph Smith Jr. was ever taken. Controversy has brewed over an 8" x 10" image given to the Library of Congress by Joseph Smith III in 1879 of his father. It is an old opinion by some that this picture came from a painting and was not a copy of an actual daguerreotype. An opinion formed before this discovery. In contrast, many experts have said that it was indeed a real photo of a man, with the image being artistically enhanced because of the limited capabilities of the enlargement process.