THROWBACK TO USS CONSTITUTION’S FIRST PHOTO! In May 1858, photographer Albert Gregory captured the earliest known photograph of USS Constitution—marking the first time “Old Ironsides” stood before the lens of a camera. By then, the ship had returned from years of overseas service and was laid up at Portsmouth Navy Yard. Workers had just begun refitting her to serve as a school ship for the U.S. Naval Academy. It was during this brief window—before the coppering of her hull was complete—that Gregory preserved Constitution in a powerful moment of transition. Made using early glass plate negatives and salt paper printing, the image reveals incredible detail: her hull raised out of the water on the drydock railway, a steam engine near her bow, workers scattered below her towering frame, and even a leafy tree in the background signaling late spring. Though this was her first photo, it certainly wasn’t her last. Since 1858, USS Constitution has remained a favorite subject for artists, ph...