3613966 Taking the Census, 1854 (oil on canvas) by Edmonds, Francis William (1806-63); 71.1x96.5 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA; (add.info.: The United States Census of 1850 required the heads of households to provide information about their dependents. Edmonds??? humorous image, the earliest known of the census-taking process, shows a father??? efforts to recall his family statistics, while several of his children hide from sight. The small framed portrait of George Washington evokes the genesis of the country??? political system and the admonition never to tell a lie. ); American, out of copyright.