Daniel Davis Jr. (February 8, 1813 – March 22, 1887) was an American science instrument maker, electrical engineer, mechanic, photographer, daguerreotypist and ambrotypist. Through the course of his work he became known for his practical knowledge and understanding of electromagnetic principles. He worked with college professors, notable electricians and popular scientists of the nineteenth century. He was consulted for practical knowledge on mechanics and electricity by inventors, including Samuel Morse for his telegraph and Elias Howe for his sewing machine. He was the first man in the United States to work with gold and silver electroplating, patented a method for coloring daguerrotypes through electroplating in 1842, and sold franchises to others for photographic studios. Davis publish