Oldest selfies ever taken

Long before smartphones and front cameras, people were already fascinated with capturing themselves. The idea of a “selfie” goes back nearly two centuries, through paintings, early photography and clever experimentation. Here are six of the oldest selfies ever recorded in history. (unsplash)

Robert Cornelius (1839): Widely considered the first photographic selfie, Cornelius captured his own image in 1839 by uncovering the lens, running into frame, and sitting still for minutes. (wikimedia commons)

Hippolyte Bayard (1840): Bayard staged a dramatic self-portrait titled Self-Portrait as a Drowned Man, making it one of the earliest conceptual and political selfies. (wikimedia commons)

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna (1914): As a teenager, Anastasia took a mirror selfie with a Kodak camera—one of the earliest examples of the now familiar selfie style. (wikimedia commons)

Stanley Kubrick (1940s):Before becoming a legendary filmmaker, Kubrick experimented with photography, including striking self-portraits. (instagram: goldies)

Vivian Maier (1950s–60s): Maier created countless reflection selfies using mirrors and windows, turning everyday surfaces into artistic self-portraits. (official website of vivian maier)

Buzz Aldrin (1966): During the Gemini 12 mission, Aldrin snapped what is often called the first space selfie, floating outside the spacecraft. (wikimedia commons)