
4th Century BC | Aristotle describes the camera obscura |
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1851 | Frederick Scott Archer introduces the collodion process |
1889 | George Eastman presents the film strip (Kodak) |
1925 | Leica releases the first small-format camera with 35mm film |
When was photography first announced to the world?
The details were introduced to the world in 1839, a date generally accepted as the birth year of practical photography. [2] [3] The metal-based daguerreotype process soon had some competition from the paper-based calotype negative and salt print processes invented by William Henry Fox Talbot and demonstrated in 1839 soon after news about the daguerreotype reached Talbot.
When were cameras invented timeline?
The use of photographic film was pioneered by George Eastman, who started manufacturing paper film in 1885 before switching to celluloid in 1888–1889. His first camera, which he called the "Kodak", was first offered for sale in 1888.
When did photography first emerge?
Photography, as we know it today, began in the late 1830s in France. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used a portable camera obscura to expose a pewter plate coated with bitumen to light. This is the first recorded image that did not fade quickly.
When the first photographs were made?
The world’s first photograph made in a camera was taken in 1826 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. The photograph was taken from the upstairs windows of Niépce’s estate in the Burgundy region of France.

When was photography was invented?
Centuries of advances in chemistry and optics, including the invention of the camera obscura, set the stage for the world's first photograph. In 1826, French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, took that photograph, titled View from the Window at Le Gras, at his family's country home.
Was there photography in the 1700s?
Although there were some attempts to obtain a photo image as far as 1700's, the year of photography invention is considered to be 1839, when so called daguerrotypy appeared in Paris.
Who first invented photography?
Nicéphore NiépceLouis DaguerreHenry Fox TalbotPhotography/Inventors
Did cameras exist in 1880?
The original Kodak was commercially one of the most important cameras ever made. Its appearance and function was akin to basic 'detective' cameras of the 1880s and 1890s.
What is the earliest photograph?
The world's first photograph made in a camera was taken in 1826 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. This photo, simply titled, "View from the Window at Le Gras," is said to be the world's earliest surviving photograph. The first colour photograph was taken by the mathematical physicist, James Clerk Maxwell.
How long did it take to take a picture in 1850?
Though early daguerreotype images required an exposure of around twenty minutes, by the early 1840s it had been reduced to about twenty seconds. Even so, photography subjects needed to remain completely still for long periods of time for the image to come out crisp and not blurred by their movement.
What is history of photography?
Photography, as we know it today, began in the late 1830s in France. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used a portable camera obscura to expose a pewter plate coated with bitumen to light. This is the first recorded image that did not fade quickly.
How was the first photograph taken?
Taken in 1826 or 1827 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, the world's oldest surviving photograph was captured using a technique Niépce invented called heliography, which produces one-of-a-kind images on metal plates treated with light-sensitive chemicals.
What were photographs called in the 1800s?
daguerreotypeThe daguerreotype, the first photographic process, was invented by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (1787–1851) and spread rapidly around the world after its presentation to the public in Paris in 1839.
Why do people not smile in old photos?
One common explanation for the lack of smiles in old photos is that long exposure times — the time a camera needs to take a picture — made it important for the subject of a picture to stay as still as possible. That way, the picture wouldn't look blurry.
How long did photos take in 1860s?
By the 1850s and '60s it was possible in the right conditions to take photographs with only a few seconds of exposure time, and in the decades that followed shorter exposures became even more widely available.
What was used before photography?
There was the camera obscura. The first thing that was needed to capture an image using light was a device to make an image. But actually, it had been around forever. The word camera came from the camera obscura which literally means darkened chamber.
How did they take pictures in the 1700s?
By the mid 1700s the camera obscura, along with the camera lucida, was considered a standard tool of artists and illustrators to make sketches for paintings and drawings.
Did they have cameras in the 1600s?
Did cameras exist in the 1600s? By the end of the 1500s and early 1600s, the camera obscura was improved with the addition of a concave lens. In 1604 Johannes Kepler used it for astronomical applications. Later on, it became more portable, and many artists used it to draw.
Where was photography created?
Photography, as we know it today, began in the late 1830s in France. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used a portable camera obscura to expose a pewter plate coated with bitumen to light. This is the first recorded image that did not fade quickly.
When did photography start?
Ultimately, the photographic process came about from a series of refinements and improvements in the first 20 years. In 1884 George Eastman, of Rochester, New York, developed dry gel on paper, or film, to replace the photographic plate so that a photographer no longer needed to carry boxes of plates and toxic chemicals around. In July 1888 Eastman's Kodak camera went on the market with the slogan "You press the button, we do the rest". Now anyone could take a photograph and leave the complex parts of the process to others, and photography became available for the mass-market in 1901 with the introduction of the Kodak Brownie .
Who invented photography?
In 1839, François Arago reported the invention of photography to stunned listeners by displaying the first photo taken in Egypt; that of Ras El Tin Palace.
Why was the daguerreotype so popular?
The daguerreotype proved popular in response to the demand for portraiture that emerged from the middle classes during the Industrial Revolution. This demand, which could not be met in volume and in cost by oil painting, added to the push for the development of photography.
What are the two critical principles of photography?
The history of photography began in remote antiquity with the discovery of two critical principles: camera obscura image projection and the observation that some substances are visibly altered by exposure to light. There are no artifacts or descriptions that indicate any attempt to capture images with light sensitive materials prior to ...
When was daguerreotype photography invented?
The daguerreotype required only minutes of exposure in the camera, and produced clear, finely detailed results. The details were introduced to the world in 1839, a date generally accepted as the birth year of practical photography.
When did collodion photography start?
Since the 1850s , the collodion process with its glass-based photographic plates combined the high quality known from the Daguerreotype with the multiple print options known from the calotype and was commonly used for decades. Roll films popularized casual use by amateurs.
When did digital cameras become popular?
The commercial introduction of computer-based electronic digital cameras in the 1990s soon revolutionized photography.
When was photography invented?
Photographic technology hasn’t stopped developing and improving since the earliest photographs were taken in 1824 using all-natural materials. From then, photography has continued its rapid improvements, moving from daguerreotypes and film, to instant photographs and digital cameras.
Who invented the photography process?
Heliography, the world’s first known photographic process, was invented by Nicéphore Niépce around 1824. The key material of Niépce’s process was Bitumen of Judea, a naturally occurring type of asphalt. He would cover either a piece of glass or metal with this Bitumen, which would harden at a different rate depending on its exposure to light. Once he had finished his ‘exposure’, he would wash the plate with lavender oil. Only the hardened Bitumen of Judea remained, revealing an image of the objects that were in view of the plate. It was this process that allowed Niépce to create the earliest surviving photograph, View from the Window at Le Gras.
Why are daguerreotypes so popular?
Compared to Heliographs which more closely resemble a sketch, daguerreotypes create sharp, detailed images. It is perhaps for this reason that Daguerreotypes were the first photographic process to become widely available to the public. The only issue was that Daguerre’s invention needed at least 30 minutes of light exposure to capture an image! Thankfully, there were plenty of would-be photographers working to improve the process.
Why is studio photography called fine art photography?
Because the history of studio photography begins well before the history of studio photography lighting, early photography studios made use of painters’ lighting techniques. In fact, this is where the term ‘fine art photography’ comes from.
Why did digital photography start?
Believe it or not, the development of digital photography started when it did because of the Space Race. Far from being all about putting a man on the moon, a big part of the space race was winning the ability to spy on your enemies. For obvious reasons, taking a bunch of photos on film in space didn’t make for great espionage. While this race began in the 1950’s, it wasn’t until years later that the most important digital breakthroughs would be made.
What are some of the most important inventions in photography?
Inventions such as the telegram, the space race, and attempts to capture color. These technologies, which are now taken for granted, are still present in most of modern photographic technology.
What were the first advances in photography?
In 1841, William Henry Fox Talbot discovered the calotype, the first known method of multiplying an image. John Herschell experimented with fix-baths, discovering the uses of Sodium Hyposulfite baths. This chemical mix is still used to fix photo negatives today. Finally, and also in 1841, Hippolyte Fizeau invented short focal lenses, allowing exposure times to drop from 30 minutes to just a few seconds. All he had to do was replace Hippolyte Bayard’s silver iodide with silver bromide. With Bayard’s discovery, making a daguerreotype portrait became a relatively quick process.
Foundations of Photography
Camera obscura is a forerunner to the present-day camera and played a vital role in the development of photography. This concept resembled a camera and was discovered around the 4th century BCE.
Evolution of Photographic Technologies
The French inventor, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, invented the first permanent photograph in 1826. It was a breakthrough in the history of photography. As a result, he is credited with being the world’s foremost photographer who invented photography.
Conclusion
Photography has grown tremendously in 300 years. Yet, no matter how improvisations and sophistication have increased manifold, the popularity of vintage-style cameras and polaroid cameras still lingers.
When was photography invented?
It was just one in a series of experiments, but View from the Window at Le Gras is the earliest surviving photograph. Nicéphore Niépce used a sheet of metal with a film of chemicals spread on it.
What is the history of photography?
History of Photography. The history of photography timeline is a history of art and science together. Many photography timelines start with the first known photograph by Nicéphore Niépce in 1827. But it actually goes much further back than that. It goes back to a time and technology before lenses, cameras, and even film.
When was the camera invented?
The camera obscura was a tool used by some artists that allowed them to easily draw or paint realistic landscapes and rendering of architecture. In its simplest form, a pinhole projects a scene in a dark room or box that the artist can basically trace over.
What is the most interesting aspect of the timeline of photography?
One of the most interesting aspects of the timeline of photography is the modern smartphone. Just think, in our pocket we can carry a camera that records still images and video. We can then transfer these photos and movies virtually instantaneously to almost anywhere in the world.
What is a motion picture?
Motion pictures, moving pictures, or movies are an entrenched part of the timeline of photography.
Why is photography important?
This is so because the history of photography is intractably tied up with all of the many technological advances in optics, cameras, and the recording medium used to capture images.
Why were lenses and optics important to astronomers?
Lenses and optics were a relatively new but established science by that time period, being used by astronomers to broaden our knowledge of the universe. Interestingly for our history of photography timeline, astronomers were also a driving force behind the advent of film.
Who invented photography?
1834 – Hércules Florence, a French-Brazilian painter and the isolate inventor of photography in Brazil, coined the word photographie for his technique, at least four years before John Herschel coined the English word photography.
What was the first permanent photograph?
He creates the first fixed, permanent photograph, a copy of an engraving of Pope Pius VII, by contact prin ting in direct sunlight without a camera or lens.
What year was heat ripening discovered?
1878 – Heat ripening of gelatin emulsions is discovered. This greatly increases sensitivity and makes possible very short "snapshot" exposures. 1878 – Eadweard Muybridge uses a row of cameras with trip-wires to make a high-speed photographic analysis of a galloping horse.
When did Kodak start using wire-photography?
1901 – Kodak introduces the 120 film format. 1902 – Arthur Korn devises practical telephotography technology (reduction of photographic images to signals that can be transmitted by wire to other locations). Wire-Photos are in wide use in Europe by 1910, and transmitted to other continents by 1922.
When was the first heliographic process?
It is later destroyed; the earliest surviving example of his "heliographic process" is from 1825. 1824 – Niépce makes the first durable, light-fast camera photograph, similar to his surviving 1826–1827 photograph on pewter but created on the surface of a lithographic stone.
When was the first issue of the British Journal of Photography published?
1854 – British Journal of Photography (initially established as the Liverpool Photographic Journal) first issue was published on 14 January 1854. 1854 – André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri credited with introduction of the carte de visite (English: visiting card or calling card) format for portraiture.
When was the first full color cartoon made?
1932 – " Flowers and Trees ", the first full-color cartoon, is made in Technicolor by Disney. 1932 – Kodak introduces the first 8 mm amateur motion picture film, cameras, and projectors. 1934 – The 135 film cartridge is introduced, making 35 mm easy to use for still photography.
When was the first photographic process invented?
1837⇢ In collaboration with Joseph Nicephore Niepce– Louis Daguerre invented the first practical photographic process, which was widely used in portraiture until the mid 1850s.
What was the first digital camera?
1994⇢ Foreshadowing the camera phone and Wi-Fi-equipped cameras that wouldn’t appear until many years later, the 1994 Olympus Deltis VC-1100 model was the first digital camera with the ability to transmit images over a phone line, without the intermediary of a computer or other device!
What was the first pentaprism camera?
1949⇢ A historic camera: the Contax S — the first pentaprism SLR for eye-level viewing.
What was the first 35mm SLR?
1936⇢ The first 35mm SLR, the Ihagee Kine Exakta had a left-handed shutter release and rapid film wind thumb lever, folding waist level finder and 12 to 1/1000th second focal plane shutter.
How many exposures did Kodak film have?
The Kodak came pre-loaded with enough film for 100 exposures and needed to be sent back to the factory for processing and reloading when the roll was finished. By the end of the 19th century Eastman had expanded his lineup to several models including both box and folding cameras. Photography could now reach the masses.
When did the portrait of the sailor appear on the cover of National Geographic?
The portrait appeared on the cover of National Geographic in June 1985
Who was the first to discuss pinhole image formation?
4TH CENTURY B.C.⇢ The Greek philosopher Aristotle discussed pinhole image formation in his work.
Who invented photography?
The artistic concept of photography was first introduced by this man named Alfred Stieglitz.
What is the evolution of photography?
Evolution of Pre-Camera Photography. The way photography was developing in the camera history timeline, define to be a killer form of fine arts and thus, people of all ages and centuries played an important role in the evolution of photography.
What is the device that the ancient Greeks and Chinese used to project an image on a screen?
The Ancient Camera: The ancient Greeks and Chinese use a mechanical device named Camera Obscura (described above) that could project an image of an object on a screen.
What is the history of photography in 2021?
A Brief History of Photography- The Photography Timeline. In 2021, almost every one of us acknowledges the massive impact of photography on modern culture. The techniques and artworks of different photographic genres are both influencing and redefining culture, trends, and traditions. From the very beginning of civilization & the history ...
When did DSLR cameras become popular?
The popularity of digital cameras started to explode at around the 2000s as photography become so smarter and the photography costs decreased.
Why do photographers use cameras?
Photographers use cameras to capture lights that come from the object that we photograph. But after clicking a photo on the camera, the next task is to develop and print the photo on paper. A lot of consequences had been noticed in this photo development technology. From the early age of black and white photo printing to the history of color photography- it has been an enormous journey.
What is the merit of the photo?
The merit in the picture was that this was the first photograph that was able to both be taken and preserved. Though the exposure was almost 8 hours and because of this, the quality was nothing compared to modern photographs. But still, from that event, the age of digital photography began.
When was photography invented?
Photography was invented in 1822 when the first photograph was taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (pronounced “nyeps”). Unfortunately, the first examples of Niépce’s work have been lost to history, but he still holds the title for the oldest surviving photograph, taken in 1826.
What is the history of photography?
The history of photography is intricate, detailed, and a marvel of human technology. While we could fill volumes with this history, a number of core events shaped photography into the accessible, artistic, and wildly popular practice it is today. Here’s a bit more about these significant milestones.
What are the most important things about photography?
Now that we’ve covered a brief history of photography, here are eight impressive photographic firsts: 1 The first female photographer was Anna Atkins, born in 1799 in Kent, England. She created the first book of photographs and crafted more than 10,000 photos by hand. 2 The first underwater photograph was taken in 1856 by William Thompson in the Bay of Weymouth. He used a camera housed in a container made of wood and iron that was lowered 18 feet into the bay. The housing flooded, resulting in a weak image. 3 The first aerial photograph on record was taken on October 13, 1860, by J.W. Black. It was taken from a hot-air balloon from a height of 2,000 feet. 4 The oldest surviving photo of a tornado was taken by F.N. Robinson in 1884 near Howard, South Dakota. 5 The first photo of Earth as seen from space was taken by the White Sands Rocket on October 24, 1946. 6 The first color photo of the earth was taken by Astronaut William Ander. He was a part of the Apollo 8 mission in 1968 and used 70mm color film. 7 The first photo of a solar eclipse was taken by using the daguerreotype process in 1851. It was taken at the Royal Observatory in Königsberg, Prussia. 8 The most expensive camera sold was also the oldest commercially produced camera. A daguerreotype Susses Frères was sold at auction in 2007 for $968,000.
How many photos can a Kodak camera take?
This led to the invention of the first film camera, known as the Kodak, that was capable of taking up to 100 photos before the film needed to be changed. It was a simple camera with one shutter speed and a fixed lens, but it made photography accessible to more people than ever before.
Why were black and white photos used?
Black-and-white photos were then used mostly for photojournalism and fine-art photography. While cameras and film were readily available, the process of developing film and printing photos was still laborious. So inventors continued to work on making the development and printing process faster.
When did color film become popular?
Film for handheld cameras was black and white until 1935, when the Kodak company introduced color film. Over the years, color film was improved upon and became more affordable, and by the 1970s color photography dominated the industry. Black-and-white photos were then used mostly for photojournalism and fine-art photography.
When was the Leica camera invented?
In 1913, Oskar Barnack created a prototype for a compact 35mm camera that would produce high-quality enlargements; in 1925 the design called the Leica was put into production. Its popularity made 35mm film the top choice for high-end cameras.

Overview
The history of photography began in remote antiquity with the discovery of two critical principles: camera obscura image projection and the observation that some substances are visibly altered by exposure to light. There are no artifacts or descriptions that indicate any attempt to capture images with light sensitive materials prior to the 18th century.
Etymology
The coining of the word "photography" is usually attributed to Sir John Herschel in 1839. It is based on the Greek φῶς (phōs; genitive phōtos), meaning "light", and γραφή (graphê), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing of light".
Early history of the camera
A natural phenomenon, known as camera obscura or pinhole image, can project a (reversed) image through a small opening onto an opposite surface. This principle may have been known and used in prehistoric times. The earliest known written record of the camera obscura is to be found in Chinese writings by Mozi, dated to the 4th century BCE. Until the 16th century the camera obscu…
Before 1700: Light sensitive materials
The notion that light can affect various substances — for instance, the sun tanning of skin or fading of textile — must have been around since very early times. Ideas of fixing the images seen in mirrors or other ways of creating images automatically may also have been in people's minds long before anything like photography was developed. However, there seem to be no historical records of any ideas even remotely resembling photography before 1700, despite early knowled…
1700 to 1802: earliest concepts and fleeting photogram results
Around 1717, German polymath Johann Heinrich Schulze accidentally discovered that a slurry of chalk and nitric acid into which some silver particles had been dissolved was darkened by sunlight. After experiments with threads that had created lines on the bottled substance after he placed it in direct sunlight for a while, he applied stencils of words to the bottle. The stencils produced copies of the text in dark red, almost violet characters on the surface of the otherwise whitish co…
1816 to 1833: Niépce's earliest fixed images
In 1816, Nicéphore Niépce, using paper coated with silver chloride, succeeded in photographing the images formed in a small camera, but the photographs were negatives, darkest where the camera image was lightest and vice versa, and they were not permanent in the sense of being reasonably light-fast; like earlier experimenters, Niépce could find no way to prevent the coating from darkenin…
1832 to 1840: early monochrome processes
Niépce died suddenly in 1833, leaving his notes to Daguerre. More interested in silver-based processes than Niépce had been, Daguerre experimented with photographing camera images directly onto a mirror-like silver-surfaced plate that had been fumed with iodine vapor, which reacted with the silver to form a coating of silver iodide. As with the bitumen process, the result appeared as a …
1850 to 1900
In 1851, English sculptor Frederick Scott Archer invented the collodion process. Photographer and children's author Lewis Carroll used this process. Carroll refers to the process as "Talbotype" in the story "A Photographer's Day Out".
Herbert Bowyer Berkeley experimented with his own version of collodion emulsions after Samman introduced the idea of adding dithionite to the pyrogallol developer. …