In 1854, Mary Dillwyn took the first photo of a snowman

The earliest known photo of a snowman was taken by Mary Dillwyn in 1854. The image shows a woman patting the snowman while a man next to her shovels snow. A small wooden cart sits next to them on the left. It's thought that the photo was probably taken in Wales. 

I love the little distortions in the film. These smears look like little patches of light that give the photo a glowing, supernatural feel. Although so much has changed since the time this photo was taken, people's love for snowmen has remained unchanged.

This photo makes me think of David Lynch's series of snowman photographs. These quiet, black and white photos of snowmen on suburban lawns have always captivated me. The series transforms the snowmen into something mysterious and almost eerie.

See also:  Frosty eats raccoon: the story of the carnivorous snowman