15 Before and After Photos of U.S. Presidents Serving Their Term On 3/2/21 at 7:00 AM EST As holders of one of the planet's most important offices, U.S. presidents are no stranger to photographs—both through their years at the White House as well as after they've served their terms. The first form of photography was daguerreotype, which was introduced in France back in 1839. The White House Historical Association explains: "In its primitive stages the daguerreotype, a silvered plate of copper rendered light-sensitive by exposure to iodine fumes, was photographically too slow for practical portraiture. "Within a year of the announced discovery, however, inquisitive minds in all comers of the globe had devised improvements in chemistry and optics, enabling the establishment of photographic portrait galleries. Daguerreotypes were produced in great numbers in France and elsewhere in Europe. It was in America, however, that photography took on the proportions of a major industry," the association adds.