digitalyarbs

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I’ve always loved seeing presidents pictured with their wives, but it’s rare to find early presidential portraits that include the First Lady. This image features the 7th president, Andrew Jackson, alongside his wife, Rachel Jackson in the front entrance of the Hermitage. The two shared a deeply devoted and passionate marriage—Jackson remained faithful to Rachel throughout his life. Given the strength of their bond, I like to think that if we could travel back in time and snap a candid photo, this is the kind of moment we might capture.

To achieve the most accurate likeness of Andrew Jackson, I based his face on his actual daguerreotype photograph. Since no photographs of Rachel Jackson exist, her likeness was recreated from her 1823 portrait by Ralph E. W. Earl. This image is not an AI "pump and dump" like so many flooding the internet these days. While AI tools were used to assist in parts of the process, I put in extensive work in Photoshop—making facial and compositional adjustments—to ensure the final piece looks authentic and respectful. This is a handcrafted composition with some AI-assisted elements, not a quick AI generation.

https://yarbs.net/lost-photographs-of-history/lost-daguerreotype-photograph-of-Rachel-Jackson-and-Andrew-Jackson-at-the-Hermitage.html

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The many facial angles of Andrew Jackson based upon his daguerreotype. This isn't one of those quick "pump and dump" AI images you often see. I put a lot of work into these, carefully adjusting facial angles and hand-tweaking details in Photoshop.

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Accusations of a "stolen election" are nothing new.

This image is for an upcoming YouTube video where John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson are interviewed and go head-to-head in a dramatic face-off. Here, Jackson confronts Adams over the infamous "Corrupt Bargain" of 1824, as well as the vicious attacks on his wife, Rachel Jackson, by Adams’ supporters. The faces of Adams and Jackson in this scene are digitally recreated using Adams’ life mask and an early daguerreotype of Jackson—offering a remarkably accurate glimpse of how they likely appeared in the 1820s. This isn't one of those quick "pump and dump" AI images you often see. I put a lot of work into these, carefully adjusting facial angles and hand-tweaking details in Photoshop.

Andrew Jackson was infamous for his explosive temper—

Biographer Robert V. Remini described it as a “vicious temper that frequently exploded into ugly language and acts.” So the question is: Would John Quincy Adams really be safe in a face-to-face showdown with Jackson?

See how I arrived at the likenesses of these two historical figures:

Andrew Jackson Daguerreotype Photograph Brought to Life - Part II https://youtu.be/tHH9fDY2f9I

The Real Face of John Quincy Adams - Life Mask Reconstruction https://youtu.be/u9nQVANAe5s

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Here’s likely the final piece in my Andrew Jackson series — a colorized, enhanced daguerreotype (before & after). I believe this one is the best yet, as it seems to best capture his true likeness.

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The real face of Andrew Jackson. Enhanced from his 1840's daguerreotype.

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Did you know that James Madison's original hair color was chestnut brown? However, most portraits of him as a young man show him with his hair powdered white, as was the custom of his day.

In 1783, a young James Madison gave a locket with a portrait of himself to a young woman as a token of love, attaching a braided lock of his hair to the back. This braided lock is now in the Library of Congress.

In October 1825, sculptor John Henri Isaac Browere visited both James and Dolley Madison, creating life masks of their heads and upper torsos. The life masks were accurate likenesses of the Madisons, as evidenced by James Madison's statement: 'Per request of Mr. Browere, busts of myself and of my wife, regarded as exact likenesses, have been executed by him in plaster, being casts made from the molds formed on our persons, of which this certificate is given under my hand at Montpelier, 19 October 1825.'

In 1828, Margaret Bayard Smith, seeing Madison for the first time in ten years, noted, 'His little blue eyes sparkled like stars from under his bushy grey eyebrows amidst the deep wrinkles of his poor thin face.'

While de-aged portraits of life masks cannot guarantee accuracy like the raw life mask itself, this AI and Photoshop rendering of Madison's life mask shows how he might have looked as a young man with his chestnut brown hair."

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The many faces of John Quincy Adams based upon his portrait by John Singleton Copley.

In 1797, Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, quite unexpectedly received a shipping case. It contained this portrait of her twenty-eight-year-old son by John Singleton Copley, which Mrs. Susanna Copley had asked her husband to paint as a gift for her old friend. Abigail was delighted, and she wrote to John Quincy Adams on June 23, 1797, “It is allowed to be as fine a portrait as ever was taken, and what renders it peculiarly valuable to me is the expression, the animation, the true Character which gives it so pleasing a likeness . . . It is most elegantly Framed, and is painted in a masterly manner. No present could have been more acceptable.” John and Abigail Adams had visited London in the 1780s and had become friends with the artist and his wife, and Copley had painted a full-length portrait of John Adams in 1783. Copley had also painted a likeness of Abigail Adams, daughter of John and Abigail Adams, probably at about the same time, which was subsequently destroyed by fire. John Quincy Adams responded to his mother in a letter dated July 29, 1797, enlightening her on the circumstances under which his portrait had been painted: "The history of the Portrait which you received last March was this. While I was here, the last time, Mr. Copley told me that Mrs. Copley had long been wishing to send you some token of her remembrance and regard, and thinking that a likeness of your Son, would answer the purpose, requested me to sit to him; which I did accordingly and he produced a very excellent picture, as you see. I had it framed in a manner which might correspond to the merit of the painting, and after I left this Country it was sent out by Mr. Copley. . . . It is therefore to the delicate politeness of Mr. and Mrs. Copley, that we are indebted for a present so flattering to me, and in your maternal kindness so acceptable to you. They are well, with all their family and continue to remember you with affection."

John Quincy Adams was serving as the United States Minister to the Netherlands in 1796 when he sat for Copley, having been appointed by President George Washington in 1794. He was resident in London for several months in 1795 and 1796 to conduct negotiations concerning the ratification of the Jay Treaty, which resolved many issues remaining from the American Revolution. Even though Adams was a relatively young man, he had been chosen for these important positions because of his extraordinary education and upbringing. Since he had often accompanied his father when he was sent to Europe on government business, the younger Adams had traveled to France, Spain, the Low Countries, England, the German States, Russia, and Sweden by the time he was seventeen. Often John Adams’s business required lengthy stays, and John Quincy Adams had therefore been enrolled in schools in Paris and Amsterdam. Back in the United States in 1786, Adams entered Harvard College, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated the following year. Subsequently he studied law in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and then began to practice law in Boston.

Adams recorded seven sittings for his portrait from February to April 1796. Two of the notations provide an elucidating glimpse into the experience of posing for Copley. On March 4 he wrote: “At Mr. Copley’s all the morning sitting for my picture. Conversation with him political, metaphysical, and critical. His opinions not accurate, but well meaning.” On March 28: “At Mr. Copley’s all morning, sitting again for my picture. Stayed there too long gazing at his Charles [Charles I ], and at a portrait of the three youngest princesses [The Three Youngest Daughters of King George III, 1785, Royal Collection, United Kingdom], a finely finished thing.”

In a stylish oval format, the portrait shows a rather debonair John Quincy Adams with powdered hair, dressed in a black frock coat with a white stock and a glimpse of a pink waistcoat. He is set against a red curtain and a crepuscular landscape. Copley carefully delineated Adams’s features but painted the costume and background with dashing and loose brushwork.

Shortly after the portrait was completed, Adams became engaged to Louisa Catherine Johnson in London. He went on to a brilliant political career, serving in the United States Senate, as Minister to Russia, as Minister to England, and as Secretary of State. In 1825 he was elected the sixth president of the United States, and after he lost his bid for re-election, he represented Plymouth, Massachusetts, in Congress for the rest of his life. Adams also went on to have his portrait painted by many of the leading artists of his day; in all he sat for at least sixty likenesses. Of all these portraits, Adams decided that “Copley’s Portrait of 1796, Stuart’s head of 1825, and Durand’s of 1836 . . . are the only ones worthy of being preserved.

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Thomas Jefferson's Life Mask De-aged.

See the de-aged life mask of Thomas Jefferson alongside the original life mask cast at the age of 82, and a Photoshop reconstruction of the life mask.

The initial life mask depicts Jefferson with a stern expression, with thin lips and a slight frown, and a furrowed brow. Despite being 82 years old, he exhibited remarkably few wrinkles, possibly influenced by the material used for the cast. At the time of the life mask casting, Jefferson retained all of his teeth except for one.

Although the original life mask provides a exact likeness of Jefferson's facial features, the de-aged portrait may not perfectly capture his appearance during his younger years.

See more life mask reconstructions of historical figures at yarbs.net.

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John Adams' Life Mask De-aged.

Witness the authentic visage of John Adams, preserved in his life mask, alongside a de-aged version that envisions how he might have appeared in as a young man. The life mask vividly portrays the impact of aging, revealing the ninety-year-old Adams without teeth, as he chose not to wear dentures.

Although the original life mask provides a exact likeness of Adams' facial features, the de-aged portrait may not perfectly capture his appearance during his younger years.

See more life mask reconstructions of historical figures at yarbs.net.

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The Face of Nathan Hale.

Nathan Hale, a distinguished American Patriot, soldier, and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, is immortalized in the face captured through a Photohop reconstruction of Frederick William MacMonnies' statue of Hale in City Hall Park, New York.

Born on June 6, 1755, Nathan Hale excelled academically and graduated with honors from Yale University in 1773. Soon after, in 1775, he joined a Connecticut militia unit and rapidly rose to the rank of first lieutenant within five months. He became a valued member of Knowlton's Rangers, a reconnaissance and espionage detachment established by General George Washington.

At the young age of just over twenty-one, Hale's courage and determination led him to volunteer for a perilous mission behind enemy lines before the Battle of Harlem Heights. Though lacking formal training in espionage, he succeeded in gathering vital information about British troop movements for a week.

Sadly, on September 21, 1776, during his return from a mission, Hale was captured and found in possession of an incriminating document written in Latin hidden in the sole of his shoe. Without a fair trial, General William Howe ordered his execution for spying, which was carried out the next morning, September 22, 1776. Hale spent his final night confined in the greenhouse of Howe's headquarters, and at dawn, he was led to the gallows, where he faced his death with remarkable courage, famously uttering, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

Nathan Hale's legacy lives on as America's first spy and a symbol of unwavering patriotism. In recognition of his selfless sacrifice and devotion, he was officially declared Connecticut's state hero on October 1, 1985.

Contemporary accounts paint a picture of a remarkable individual. Beyond his intelligence and athletic prowess in wrestling, football, and broad jumping, Hale was described as kind, gentle, religious, and exceptionally good-looking. With fair skin, light blue eyes, and hair, he stood just under six feet tall, captivating both men and women alike. His presence and character earned him the admiration and affection of all who knew him, and it was said that all the girls in New Haven were enamored by him.

yarbs.net

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Last Visit of Friends: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

This image depicts a scene where the real faces of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, based on their life masks cast in 1825, are seated together in the shade at Monticello. To provide a wider perspective of Jefferson's home and the surrounding flowers, a zoomed-out view is included. It is important to note that although some elements in the image were created using AI, the image itself is not an AI-generated image. I want to clarify this to distinguish it from the numerous AI-generated images that are so often quickly created and shared.

The faces of Jefferson and Madison were reconstructed using Photoshop from actual castings of their life masks. The backdrop of the image is a photograph taken at Jefferson's Monticello home. The period dress bodies were generated using AI, but they were carefully modified by hand in Photoshop to achieve the desired results. Jefferson can be seen holding his trusty walking stick, the same stick that he bequeaths to Madison the following year. This walking stick was a gift from Norfolk Physician and merchant John Oliveira Fernandes to Thomas Jefferson in 1805.

The title of this image is "Last Visit of Friends: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison," as Jefferson would pass away the following year. The image captures a poignant moment where Madison visits Jefferson, seated together in the shade, possibly reminiscing about their adventures and their fifty-year-long friendship.

In describing Madison during his later years, a friend named Margaret Bayard Smith observed, "His little blue eyes sparkled like stars from under his bushy grey eyebrows and amidst the deep wrinkles of his poor thin face."

Daniel Webster, in commenting on Jefferson's appearance, remarked, "Mr. Jefferson is now between eighty-one and eighty-two, above six feet high, of an ample, long frame, rather thin and spare. His head, which is not peculiar in its shape, is set rather forward on his shoulders; and his neck being long, there is, when he is walking or conversing, an habitual protrusion of it. It is still well covered with hair, which having been once red, and now turning gray, is of an indistinct sandy color. His eyes are small, very light, and now neither brilliant nor striking. His chin is rather long, but not pointed. His nose small, regular in its outline, and the nostrils a little elevated. His mouth is well formed and still filled with teeth; it is strongly compressed, bearing an expression of contentment and benevolence. His complexion, formerly light and freckled, now bears the marks of age and cutaneous affection."

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The real face of James Monroe based upon his "Death" mask.

I had not planned to reconstruct a death mask, but due to numerous requests for James Monroe, I decided to undertake the task. The sculptor John Henri Isaac Browere, famous for his life masks of John Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and other prominent early Americans, created only one death mask, that of James Monroe.

Monroe spent his final six months residing with his daughter and son-in-law in New York City. He passed away there on July 4, 1831, exactly five years after his friend Jefferson. His death occurred a little after 3 p.m., and he was laid to rest on July 7. During this period, Browere took a death mask. Initially, Browere had hoped to create a life mask of Monroe, but the former president declined to pose, perhaps due to what had befallen Jefferson. Since the soul had departed, Browere never transformed the mask into a portrait bust, leaving the eyes closed and the hair unmodeled. However, as Charles Henry Hart noted, "it is difficult to believe it was made after life was gone, so vibrant with life it seems." In terms of likeness, it compares favorably with the portrait painted by Chester Harding from life in 1829."

Having a death mask of an individual supposedly provides an accurate representation of their appearance, right?

Well, the answer is both yes and no. When a person dies, the facial muscles relax and droop, causing the eyes to sink, and wrinkles can soften or even vanish. Some of the most recognizable features of a person become flattened, devoid of the expressions that life once imbued them with.

Therefore, while many death masks manage to capture a person's likeness with great precision, this is not always the case. Consequently, relying solely on a death mask to authenticate a portrait may not always yield an exact result. This appears to be the situation with James Monroe. It is likely that Monroe was lying down when Browere cast the mask of his face. His eyes and cheeks appeared sunken, and gravity had flattened his nose and lips. Unlike the reconstruction of life masks, death masks necessitate some "artistic license." In other words, the physical structure of the mask needs to be altered. I usually avoid such modifications when reconstructing life masks. In order to transform James Monroe's death mask into a lifelike representation, I had to reverse the effects of gravity and slightly lift the nose and lips. I also had to counteract the effects of death by filling in his eye sockets and cheeks. Since Browere had not opened the eyes in this mask, I utilized the eyes from Chester Harding's 1829 painting, as well as replicating the hairstyle.

It is impossible to accurately replicate Monroe's likeness due to the numerous adjustments required to transform the death mask into a lifelike representation of him. At times, the distinction between a life mask and a death mask can be as significant as the distinction between life and death itself. I hope that this reconstructed death mask provides a glimpse of how James Monroe truly appeared in his younger years.

This image is the "de-aged" version of his face. Additionally, in the process of de-aging a face, slight reductions were made to the nose and ears as these organs continue to grow as one ages. Additionally, the lips were lifted further to convey a more youthful appearance.

See https://yarbs.net/life-mask-reconstructions/james-monroe-death-mask.html for the aged, comparison and overlay images.

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A profile view of the real face of John Quincy Adams, reconstructed life mask cast by John Henri Isaac Browere in 1825.

In the daguerreotype photographs depicting John Quincy Adams, we observe an elderly gentleman sporting white hair and mutton chops (sideburns). Nevertheless, back in 1825, during his presidential term, Adams had brown hair and a clean-shaven face. In that very year, John Henri Isaac Browere immortalized Adams' appearance at the age of 58 by creating a life mask. Adams mentions Browere in his diary, August 30: "Browere, is a sculptor who has made at New York a bust of General Lafayette, and proposes to take bust of all the presidents." Adams was unable to sit for Browere in August because he returned home to Massachusetts for a while. In October, when Adams was back in Washington he sat for Browere. Adams mentions Browere in two short diary entries: "At Browere's. He took my bust." (October 29) and "Browere. The bust finished. (November 5). The mask itself was taken on the first date and the finished bust was ready for display a week later. Browere has given us a rare image of John Quincy Adams smiling. When Horatio Greenough modeled a bust of Adams a few years later, he wrote, "I shall not attempt to make him look cheerful. He does not and cannot. Gravity is natural to him, and a smile looks ill at home." But Adams's smiling visage in Browere's portrait is surely due to the sitter and not the artist." The Fenimore Art Museum, located in Cooperstown, New York, houses the majority of Browere's life mask busts. Although the bust of John Quincy Adams is currently not accessible for public viewing, it is safely stored within the museum's collection.

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The real face of John Quincy Adams - 1825 life mask. In the daguerreotype photographs depicting John Quincy Adams, we observe an elderly gentleman sporting white hair and mutton chops (sideburns). Nevertheless, back in 1825, during his presidential term, Adams had brown hair and a clean-shaven face. In that very year, John Henri Isaac Browere immortalized Adams' appearance at the age of 58 by creating a life mask. Adams mentions Browere in his diary, August 30: "Browere, is a sculptor who has made at New York a bust of General Lafayette, and proposes to take bust of all the presidents." Adams was unable to sit for Browere in August because he returned home to Massachusetts for a while. In October, when Adams was back in Washington he sat for Browere. Adams mentions Browere in two short diary entries: "At Browere's. He took my bust." (October 29) and "Browere. The bust finished. (November 5). The mask itself was taken on the first date and the finished bust was ready for display a week later. Browere has given us a rare image of John Quincy Adams smiling. When Horatio Greenough modeled a bust of Adams a few years later, he wrote, "I shall not attempt to make him look cheerful. He does not and cannot. Gravity is natural to him, and a smile looks ill at home." But Adams's smiling visage in Browere's portrait is surely due to the sitter and not the artist." The Fenimore Art Museum, located in Cooperstown, New York, houses the majority of Browere's life mask busts. Although the bust of John Quincy Adams is currently not accessible for public viewing, it is safely stored within the museum's collection.

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If John Quincy Adams were Superman.

Written by AI (ChatGPT) in the style of JQA. Image created using the 1825 life mask of John Quincy Adams by John Henri Isaac Browere, AI image elements and Photoshop.

"Fellow citizens, it is with a fervent spirit and a profound sense of duty that I take this opportunity to address you as the embodiment of a superhero known as Superman. Though this persona may seem extraordinary and beyond the realm of human capabilities, let us not forget that I, John Quincy Adams, have always advocated for the pursuit of knowledge, justice, and the betterment of mankind.

As Superman, my powers may exceed those of mortal men, yet I remain guided by the same principles that have defined my existence. I am a guardian, a protector, and a beacon of hope in the face of adversity. With great power comes an even greater responsibility to employ these gifts for the common good.

In this capacity, I vow to uphold the principles upon which our nation was founded. Just as I advocated for the abolition of slavery and the expansion of individual liberties during my tenure as President of the United States, so too shall I employ my extraordinary abilities to combat injustice, oppression, and tyranny wherever they may arise.

My superhuman strength shall be dedicated to defending the weak and vulnerable, for they are the cornerstone of our society. I shall use my invulnerability to shield the innocent from harm and to preserve the sanctity of life. My keen intellect and unyielding determination shall be harnessed to unravel the complexities of the world's problems and to foster a society that values truth, reason, and compassion.

But let it be known, dear friends, that I do not act alone. Just as I relied upon the counsel and wisdom of my esteemed peers, so too do I recognize the importance of collaboration and collective action. Together, we can forge a brighter future, where the power of one man is but a symbol for the strength and potential within each and every one of us.

In times of crisis, remember that hope is not lost. Look to the skies, for it is there that you shall find me, a humble servant of humanity, ready to lend my abilities and to inspire greatness in all. The indomitable spirit that guided me in life continues to guide me as Superman, and I invite you to join me in this noble pursuit.

Let us embrace the boundless possibilities that lie before us, for united we shall triumph over adversity and forge a world where justice, freedom, and compassion prevail."

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The Real Face of John Quincy Adams.

A Photoshop reconstruction depicting the 1825 life mask of JQA during his tenure as president, revealing an absence of his iconic mutton chop sideburns, which he typically sported later in life.