Draper, John William (1811–1882)

English-born US chemist. He was a pioneer in photography as early as 1837 and was the second American to make a photographic portrait (1839) and he made major contributions to the study of chemical effects of radiant energy.

He was born in St Helens, Lancashire and emigrated to Virginia in 1832. A photograph of his sister, taken in 1840, may be the oldest extant portrait and, in 1850, he took the first microphotographs. He was affiliated with New York University (1839–82) and, at its School of Medicine, he granted some of the first PhDs in the USA (1867–72).