1850 Census: Taking the Census

Francis William Edmonds

Frances William Edmonds 1854 painting "Taking the Census" depicts a marshal and his young assistant collecting data for the 1850 Census. It was the first census in which marshals recorded the name of the head of each family as well as the name of every person living within the household.

Gift of Diane, Daniel, and Mathew Wolf, in honor of John K. Howat and Lewis I. Sharp, 2006 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Page Last Revised - February 12, 2025