History
When did photographs enter US passport applications?
The National Archives records passport applicant photographs from December 21, 1914, before Josepho’s Photomaton opened in New York.
The US National Archives says regular passport applications included photographs beginning December 21, 1914. That date places identity photography in an official paper system more than a decade before the well-known Photomaton studio opened in 1926.
The purposes were different
The purposes were different. An official portrait helped a document support identification and travel decisions; a booth portrait was a service for the sitter to take away. Similar head-and-shoulders framing can carry different authority depending on who requested and retained the image.
Evidence: Archival research guide
NARA’s guide covers applications through March 31, 1925
NARA’s guide covers applications through March 31, 1925, with later records held by the Department of State. It also shows that a photograph sits among names, dates, physical descriptions and other archival details.
Evidence: Archival research guide
The passport file linked the portrait to an application and travel
For family research, use the application and travel record to distinguish an official portrait from a loose studio print, even when their framing is nearly identical.
Evidence: Archival research guide
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- US National Archives — Passport applications, 1795–1925Archival research guide