Paul Beck Goddard (1811 - July 5, 1866) was an American physician and editor of medical books who also made pioneering contributions to

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

. He graduated from the medical school of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

in 1832. As well as practicing as a physician and surgeon, he was professor of anatomy at

Franklin Medical College Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral di ...

of Philadelphia, and a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

(elected in 1840). In his experimental photography work with Robert Cornelius, in 1839 Goddard became the first to use bromide for

daguerreotype Daguerreotype (; french: daguerréotype) was the first publicly available photographic process; it was widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process. Invented by Louis Daguerre an ...

s. Goddard was then working as an assistant to University of Pennsylvania Chemistry professor Dr. Robert Hare, and this chemistry background contributed to his successful experiments with bromine. Recognizing the potential of this innovation, which significantly decreased exposure times, Goddard helped Cornelius set up a commercial photography studio. Goddard died in Philadelphia on July 5, 1866. Reporting his death, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' described him "one of the most eminent physicians of this country" and said, "His devotion to wounded soldiers during the war gained him great popularity among the people."

References

External links

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The Zentmayer Grand American Microscope once owned by Dr. Paul Beck Goddard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goddard, Paul Beck 19th-century American physicians American photographers 1811 births 1866 deaths Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni Members of the American Philosophical Society