John Wood photographed the Inauguration of President James Buchanan at the east front of the U. S. Capitol, March 4, 1857.
“Mr. Wood has been trying some photography process of great speed for the purpose of taking a view of the inauguration,” wrote Montgomery C. Meigs. “He made a view of the front of the Capitol in which the figures are, many of them, quite distinct. This was taken upon collodion and the men thus taken are those who happened to stand nearly quite still for a moment. It took about 4 seconds.”
(Library of Congress. Manuscript Division. The Papers of Montgomery C. Meigs)