In addition to being the telegraph's inventor, Samuel F. B. Morse distinguished himself early on in life as a portrait painter, and presided over the National Academy of design from 1827 until 1845. He also received training in science as a student at Yale, apparently conducting some unsuccessful experiments with the goal of "fixing" the image of the camera obscura. The announcement of Daguerre's discovery thus piqued Morse's interest, and inclined the Greenwich Village based inventor to meet with Daguerre to view the results of his photographic work.
Morse's letter to Daguerre on March 1, 1839 reveals that Daguerre readily consented to the meeting, suggesting that the two inventors convene on a Sunday to view the daguerreotype process. Morse’s Puritan training influenced him so, that he politely responded, asking if “Monday, or any other day,” might suffice, due to “an engagement for the entire Sunday of a nature that cannot be broken.” Daguerre agreed to switch the date of their meeting, and on March 7th Morse obtained his first views of photographs on silver – the first daguerreotypes.