Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 - January 13, 1864) was an American composer and songwriter. Foster taught himself to play the clarinet, guitar, flute, and piano, and had no formal instruction in composition. He wrote more than 200 songs and many of his compositions remain popular today. He is considered one of the most famous songwriters of the 19th century. Daguerreotype, 1859 (cropped and cleaned).