A U.S. researcher says a photogenic drawing of a leaf could be the world's oldest photograph.

The image, created by using sunlight and light-sensitive paper, was believed to have been made in 1839 by British photography pioneer Henry Fox Talbot but scholar Larry Schaaf now says it could have been created in 1809 or early, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday.

Schaaf, who was asked to examine the leaf by the auction house Sothebys in New York, said it may have been made by Thomas Wedgwood of Britain, who began to experiment with making solar pictures in the 1790s.

The image has been withdrawn from auction pending further investigation, the British newspaper said. (c) UPI