In September 1848, photographers Charles Fontayne and William S. Porter set up their camera on a rooftop along the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky, to take a panoramic view of Cincinnati. They panned their camera across Cincinnati's waterfront, each time capturing a different segment of the growing city's skyline. The resulting images from that Septmber day, eight whole-plate daguerreotypes, were simply titled '"Daguerreotype View of Cincinnati. Taken from Newport, Kentucky." Recognized then and now as one of the finest sets of daguerreotypes of its kind, this dramatic view of Cincinnati is known today as "The Cincinnati Panorama" and is included in the collection of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. A reproduction of the Panorama can be seen as a mural in the Atrium of the Main Library's South Building.

-- From the brochure "The Cincinnati Panorama of 1848"

NOTE: The 1848 Cincinnati Panorama and all images of it are owned by the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County and are provided here for general historical interest and personal research purposes only. Inquire with the Genealogy & Local History Dept. of the Public Library for use and reproduction rights and permissions.

On 21 May 2011 the original Panorama with 1848 matting was restored to public display in the Joseph S. Stern, Jr. Cincinnati Room on the thrid floor of the Main (Downtown) Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County - A Must See!

For viewing the Panorama:

Fontayne & Porter advertisement, 1850-51 Williams' Cincinnati Directory, page 247. Used with permission from the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

• The Cincinnati Panorama of 1848: Presented by the Public Library. This is the best site for viewing the original 8 plates newly put on display at the Main (Downtown) Branch of the Public Library. Contains zoom-in images with descriptive Points of Interest.
• Cincinnati Panorama of 1848: Presented by the Ohio Memory Project of the Ohio Historical Society - Contains a "stitched" together image of the 8 daguerreotype plates of the Panorama with which you can zoom and pan.
• Cincinnati Watefront Panorama Daguerreotype: Presented by the University of Rochester. Contains digital scans of plates 2, 4, 3, and 6 that you zoom in to 16X magnification.
• Daguerreotype View of Cincinnati: Presented by the weblog Codex XCIX.

• The Cincinnati Panorama of 1848 - A digital copy of an 11" x 21" general information brochure.
• A Cincinnati Daguerreotype - A 1947 paper presented by Carl Vitz, then Head Librarian at the Public Library, about the Panorama to the Cincinnati Literary Club.
• Cincinnati Revierfront Prints & Postcards - Beautiful archival quality duotone prints are available for each of the eight plates of the Panorama for $30. Each print fits perfectly in a 16" x 20" wide-matt frame with an 11" x 14" opening. A set of postcards, each card measuring 5½" × 8½", containing plates 1-4 are also available for $10.00 .

• University of Rochester and George Eastman House present the Cincinnati Waterfront Dataset.

• Rediscovering Our Schierberg Ancestors, by Bob Brodbeck. An historical and genealogical investigation of the Schierberg family who emigrated from the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg to the United States and Cincinnati in 1835. A portion of the book details findings about family places of business, a residence, and parish church pictured along the Cincinnati riverfront in the 1848 Cincinnati Panorama.