The term photography first appeared in the year. History of art photography

Photography has already become quite commonplace, to which modern man I've been used to it for a long time Everyday life. However, photography was previously considered a real miracle. Over its more than 150-year history, it has overcome a huge development path. Looking back into the past, we can dwell on the most significant milestones and moments associated with recording the reality around us and obtaining photographic images.

First photo (1826)

It is known that the first photo was taken in 1826. It was a shot of "View from a Window" by inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niepce. He obtained the photograph using a camera with a tin plate, which was covered with a layer of asphalt. The exposure time of the image was eight hours. But in fact, the first photograph, apparently, was taken by the same talented Frenchman four years earlier, but it simply did not survive.

The “view from the window” photograph (20×25 cm) is considered the first photograph in history. Obtained by Niépce in 1825 using a camera obscura on a tin plate covered with a thin layer of asphalt. The exposure lasted eight hours in bright sunlight.

Niépce was the first to think that if you cover a tin plate with a thin layer of asphalt, which is sensitive to light, you can capture a photographic image. In the photo “View from the Window” that has survived to this day, we can only see the roofs of city houses located next to the house where Niepce lived with his family.

The first photograph of a man (1838)

The first photo with a person in it was taken in 1838 by self-taught inventor Louis Daguerre. It was he who invented the so-called daregotype. To create it, you had to take a plate that was covered with a thin layer of silver, and then “expose it” for some time in the camera. After which the silver had to be “fixed” with mercury vapor, and finally, the plate had to be placed in a bath of sodium sulfite to obtain the finished photographic image. It was with this technology that a photograph of a man was taken in 1838.

Interestingly, in order to take this photo, Louis Daguerre needed an exposure of about ten minutes. As a result, the entire street in the photo turned out to be practically deserted, although carriages drove along it at that time and people moved around. But all the moving objects simply did not have time to be captured in the frame due to such a long exposure. Except for the human figure in the lower left corner. Apparently he remained motionless for some time as he waited for the shoeshine man he was standing next to to do his job. By coincidence, it was this man who went down in history as the first person to be captured on camera.

First portrait (1839)

It is generally accepted that the first portrait was taken in 1839 by photographer Robert Cornelius. Among other things, this man is also known for being the first in the United States to open a private photography studio, simultaneously selling gas lanterns.

In fact, this was the first self-portrait or, in modern terminology, a “selfie”-style photograph. Simply after removing the cap of a bulky photographic lens, Cornelius rushed into the frame himself, after which he sat in front of the camera for a little over a minute to ensure the proper exposure of the photo. Thus, he managed to obtain a photographic image of himself.

First photo under water (1856)

In 1856, the first photograph was taken underwater. The authorship belongs to William Thompson, who used a camera mounted on a pole for this. He installed a pole with a camera on the bottom of the sea near the coast. In this photo, which, of course, turned out to be of very low quality, only seaweed could be seen.

But the first photo taken by a person directly during his own dive under water had to wait almost another four decades. In 1893, Louis Boutan, wearing a heavy diving suit, sank into the depths of the sea to a depth of fifty meters and took that very historical photograph. To illuminate the underwater scene, Bhutan even had to invent special lighting equipment. But still, filming underwater took about three hours. It is not for nothing that Louis Boutan is today called the pioneer of underwater photography. By the way, this difficult experiment with underwater photography seriously affected the health of the legendary underwater explorer, and he stopped his experiments in photography at significant depths.

The first photo in color was taken already in 1926. This photograph was taken by Dr. William Longley in the Gulf of Mexico. To create color photographs, he had to use several cameras, enclosed in a waterproof, protective case, and a mass of explosive magnesium powder needed to provide illumination in the water column.

First photo from the air (1858)

In 1858, photographer and balloonist Gaspard-Felix Tournache (Nadar) photographed the capital of the French state with hot air balloon. These photographs of Paris were the first to be taken from a great height. Interestingly, Nadar himself, as a true artist, was initially opposed to photography, but nevertheless turned to the camera through his work as a theater director. True, these historical shots of Paris, unfortunately, have not survived to our time.

"Boston as the eagle sees it and wild goose", 1860

First photomontage (1858)

We all know very well what photomontage is. This is the combination of several photos into one complete image. In film days, montages were made by cutting and gluing together photographs. Today thanks graphic editors and the possibility of obtaining digital photographs, creating a photo montage is a matter of just a couple of minutes. However, it is difficult to believe that the first photomontage in history was made at the dawn of photography, when photographers were dealing with very bulky and inconvenient equipment.


This happened in 1858, when Henry Robinson managed to combine several negatives into one full-fledged picture. The image, titled "Fading Away," was compiled from five images. The theme of the final photograph was very controversial and provocative for that time - the slow and terrible death of a girl from tuberculosis. Of course, such work could not attract the attention of the public, causing a lot of discussion and criticism.

First photo in color


Tartan Ribbon, James Maxwell

The first full-fledged color photograph was taken already at a time when even the creation of the simplest black-and-white photograph, due to the low sensitivity of the plates, was impossible challenging task. This happened in 1861, when the talented scientist James Maxwell received the photo “Tartan Ribbon”. The first photographic image in color was a projection of three slides (red, green and blue) onto a screen.

First photo from space

Another thing happened in 1946 significant event in the history of the development of photography. A series of shots of our planet were taken from an American V-2 rocket equipped with a 35 mm movie camera. These grainy black-and-white images are the first photographic images of Earth taken from space. Unique shots were recorded from a suborbital altitude (approximately 150 kilometers). These rockets, with film and photographic equipment on board, launched from Earth several times between 1946 and 1950, and with their help a total of more than a thousand photographs of the planet were taken.

The priceless black-and-white footage then appeared in American newspapers and was carefully analyzed by scientists and researchers. The first color photo was taken by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft in 1972.

Finally, one more thing is worth mentioning interesting fact from the history of photography. Most of us believe that three-dimensional three-dimensional photographic images appeared only in last decades. But in fact, the very idea of ​​3D images arose back in the 20s of the last century. Back then, Cavenders was trying to find a way to increase sales of its cigarette products by creating interesting, attractive packaging. To do this, its representatives decided to turn to Durden Holmes, who proposed a completely extraordinary solution. Namely, print two photographs located side by side on the packs - one for the left eye, the other for the right. Moreover, one of the photographs on the cigarette packaging was slightly shifted. In this simple way, the effect of depth appeared, attracting the viewer’s eye. These advertising pictures can easily be called the first example of 3D photographic images.

Incredible facts

When we think of old photographs, we primarily think of black and white images, but as these stunning photo early 20th century, color photography was much more advanced than one might think.

Before 1907, if you wanted a color photograph, a professional colorist had to color it using different dyes and pigments.

However, two French brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière, made a splash in the field of photography. Using colored potato starch particles and a light-sensitive emulsion, they could take color photographs without the need for additional coloring.

Despite the complexity of production, as well as the high cost, the process of producing color photographs was very popular among photographers, and one of the world's first books on color photography was published using this technique.

First color photos

Thus, the brothers revolutionized the world of photography, and Kodak later took photography to a whole new level by introducing Kodakchrome film to the market in 1935. It was an easier and more convenient alternative to the invention of the Lumière brothers. Their Autochrome Lumiere technology immediately became obsolete, but still remained popular in France until the 1950s.

Kodakchrome, in turn, also became obsolete with the advent of digital photography. Kodak stopped producing film in 2009. Digital photography is the most popular form of photography today, but modern advances in photography would not be possible without the hard work of pioneers Auguste and Louis Lumière.

Now let's look at a collection of amazing photographs from a century ago, taken using the innovative technology of the Lumière brothers.

1. Christina in red, 1913


2. Street flower seller, Paris, 1914


3. Heinz and Eva on the Hill, 1925


4. Sisters sitting in the garden making bouquets of roses, 1911


5. Moulin Rouge, Paris, 1914


6. Dreams, 1909


7. Mrs. A. Van Besten, 1910


8. Girl with a doll near soldiers' equipment in Reims, France, 1917


9. Eiffel Tower, Paris, 1914


10. Street in Grenada, 1915


11. One of the very first color photographs, made using the technology of the Lumière brothers, 1907


12. Young girl in daisies, 1912


13. Two girls on the balcony, 1908


14. Balloons, Paris, 1914


15. Charlie Chaplin, 1918


The very first color photographs

16. Mark Twain's Autochrome, 1908


17. Open market, Paris, 1914


18. Christina in red, 1913


19. Woman smoking opium, 1915


20. Two girls in oriental costumes, 1908


21. Van Besten painting in the garden, 1912


22. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1913


23. Woman and girl in nature, 1910


24. Eva and Heinz on the shore of Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, 1927


25. Mother and daughters in traditional dress, Sweden, 1910


26. Neptune's Fountain, Cheltenham, 1910


27. Family portrait, Belgium, 1913


28. Girl in the garden with flowers, 1908

In a world where Instagram and Facebook exist, photographs won’t surprise anyone for a long time. But before you call yourself an advanced lighting and Photoshop photographer, take a look at these vintage photos - they were taken back to 1838 and look very funny from a modern perspective.

1. The very first person to appear in the photo

This photograph by Louis Daguerre of a Paris street was taken in 1838. Upon closer inspection, in the lower left corner of the photo you can find the figure of a man having his shoes shined. This is probably the world's first photograph with a person accidentally caught in the frame.

2. The world's first selfie!

Back in 1839, Robert Cornelius photographed himself. The method used was called daguerreotype, after the first photographer, Louis Daguerre. And this self-portrait is considered one of the oldest portrait photographs. In fact, this is the world's first selfie.

3. The oldest photograph of a woman

This is a portrait of Hannah Stilley, born in 1746. What's even more intriguing is that she was 30 years old when the US was formed! 94-year-old Hannah Stilley was captured forever in 1840. Although the original daguerreotype of this portrait has not survived, the photograph itself appeared in Alva Gorby's book The Gorby Family, History and Genealogy (1936).

4. The oldest photograph of a US president

The first US president to be photographed was John Quincy Adams, and this event happened in 1843. Adams was the country's sixth president from 1825 to 1829. At the age of 76, his photograph was taken by Philip Haas.

5. First news photo

This is a snapshot of arrest procedures in France in 1847. The daguerreotype of the incident is one of the oldest photographs that accompanied the news. Thus began the trend of backing up all news information with visual evidence.

6. First photo of the party!

In this photo from 1844, people are having a banal drink in company. Pictured are artist and photographer David Octavius ​​Hill (right), orientalist James Ballantyne (left) and Dr George Bell. At the moment of photographing, they are probably joking cheerfully, and on the table there are three glasses of ale (yes, they drank beer in glasses) and a bottle.

7. The Oldest Photo of the Alamo

This 1849 daguerreotype is believed to be the oldest photograph of the Alamo Chapel. Photo unknown author taken before the Alamo structures were repaired and rebuilt in 1850 by the US Army. During renovation appearance the building was significantly changed.

8. First shot from above

This photograph of Boston in 1860 from a height of 2,000 feet is by James Wallace Black, who began his career as a photographer with a series of aerial photographs from a hot air balloon, and in 1872 he became famous for his photographs of Boston after a devastating fire.

9. The earliest photograph of the England football team

This photo of the England team was discovered 132 years after it was taken. It shows the football superstars of the day before England's fifth international match on 4 March 1876: 10 players with the referee posing for posterity.

10. First passport photo

The US is considered the first country to use passport photos, and it has been mandatory since 1914. The USA was followed by Great Britain, and then all other countries. This is a sample American passport dated March 2, 1915, with the earliest photograph discovered. The document belongs to 33-year-old Margaret Sanger, who traveled under the pseudonym Bertha L. Watson.

Frames from which the history of photography began

Almost 200 years ago, Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niepce smeared a thin layer of asphalt on a metal plate and exposed it to the sun in a camera obscura. This is how he received the world's first “reflection of the visible.” The photo didn't turn out great best quality, but this is where the history of photography begins.

Since then, photography, in addition to turning from black and white to color, has received many more varieties: photography from the air and from space, photomontage and x-rays, self-portrait, underwater photo and 3D photography. And at the origins of each genre there was a pioneer.

The very first photographs in the history of photography of all these genres are collected in this material. First photo

The very first photo in the world was taken in 1826 by Joseph Nicéphore Niepce. The photo is called “View from the Window”. The photo was taken using a pinhole camera with a tin plate covered with a thin layer of asphalt. The exhibition lasted about 14 hours.


First color photograph

The very first color photo was taken in 1861 by the English physicist James Clerk Maxwell. The photo is called “Tarravel Ribbon”.


2.


First photomontage

In 1858, Henry Peach Robinmon performed the first photomontage, combining several negatives into one image. This is “Fading Away,” a combination of five negatives depicting the death of a girl from tuberculosis.


3.


First photographic portrait

The first photographic portrait in the world is a self-portrait of Robert Cornelius, 1839. After removing the cover from the photographic lens, he rushed into the frame, where he sat for more than a minute until the lens was closed. The words written on the back in Cornelius's own hand read: “The first picture ever seen. 1839 »


4.


First photograph of a person

The first photograph of a person is considered to be “Boulevard du Temple,” a photograph taken by Louis Daguerre at the end of 1838. In the lower left corner you can see the figure of a man whose shoes are being cleaned. He remained motionless long enough to be captured on the photographic plate. The exposure was at least 10 minutes, so the street seems deserted.


5.


The first photo from space

The very first photograph in space was taken on October 24, 1946. The photo was taken from a V-2 rocket using a 35mm camera.


6.


First photograph of the moon

54 years ago, on October 7, 1959, it was photographed for the first time back side Moons. Despite poor quality, the images provided the USSR with priority in naming objects on the surface of the Moon.


7.


First aerial photography

The first aerial photography was carried out by the French inventor Gaspard Tournache (Nadar) in 1858. He photographed Paris from a hot air balloon.


8.


First X-ray

The first X-ray photograph was a photograph of the hand of Wilhelm Roentgen's wife, 1895.


9.


First underwater photo

The very first underwater photograph was taken by William Thompson in 1856. During the shooting, the camera was installed on the seabed near Weymont (UK).


10.


First underwater color photograph

The first underwater color photograph was taken in the Gulf of Mexico by Dr. W. Longley Charles Martin in 1926.


11.


The first color photograph of the Earth

One of the most popular photos Earth from Space was taken by the crew of Apollo 17 on December 7, 1972.


12.


The first photograph of another planet

The image was taken by the Venera 9 spacecraft in 1975.


13.


First amateur photos

125 years ago, in 1888, Kodak launched the world's first amateur camera.
Kodak was sold with a set of 100 negatives. Customers, having clicked all hundred, sent them, along with the camera, back to the Kodak plant to have the photographs developed and produced. The company then sent the client photos and a camera ready to capture 100 more views.
Thousands of photographs passed through the hands of workers at the factory, but they considered it necessary to preserve some scenes from the 1890s for posterity.


14. Children swimming in the sea, 1890. Collection of the Kodak Museum.

15. Woman at a market stall, 1890. Collection of the Kodak Museum.


First 3D photos

In the 1920s, Cavenders, a cigarette company, was looking for a way to increase sales. To make the packaging more attractive, he turned to fellow photographer Durden Holmes to come up with something eye-catching. The photographer came up with an unusual idea: print two pictures next to each other on cigarette packs, one for the left eye, the other for the right. At the same time, the image in one picture was slightly shifted to the side, and when looking at the pictures, a feeling of depth in the photograph was created, a 3D effect.

Today, these pictures have been converted into GIF images and received a real and familiar 3D effect.


16. Billingsgate Fish Market

17. Traffic jam at the Bank of England, London

This photograph, entitled “View from a Window,” was taken by photography pioneer Joseph Nicéphore Niepce in 1826. The shot was taken from an upstairs window at Niépce's estate in Burgundy, France. The image was produced using a process known as heliography.

The first color photograph was created by physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell in 1861. This is a picture of a three-color bow called Tartan Ribbon (or Tartan Ribbon).

NASA photographers photographed the first launch at Cape Canaveral in July 1950. The two-stage Bumper 2 rocket you see in the frame contained a V-2 rocket (upper stage) and a WAC Corporal (lower stage).

The first digital photograph was taken in 1957; almost 20 years before Kodak engineer Steve Sasson invented the first digital camera. This is a digital scan of a photograph originally taken on film. It shows Russell Kirsch's son.

The first photograph of a person is considered to be the picture you see above. It was made by Louis Daguerre. The exposure lasted about seven minutes. The shot captures the Boulevard du Temple in Paris. In the lower left corner of the photo you can see a man who stopped to clean his shoes.

Robert Cornelius set up his camera and took the world's first self-portrait while on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. He sat in front of the lens for just over a minute before the lens closed. This historical selfie was taken in 1839.

The first hoax photograph was taken in 1840 by Hippolyte Bayard, who competed with Louis Daguerre in claiming the title of “father of photography.” Bayard was supposedly the first to develop a photographic process, but delayed reporting his achievement. And the efficient Daguerre presented a report on the daguerreotype without mentioning Bayard, who, in despair, made his self-portrait with a regrettable signature. It said that the inconsolable inventor drowned himself.

The first aerial photograph was taken from a hot air balloon in 1860. It depicts the city of Boston from a height of 610 meters. The photographer, James Wallace Black, titled his work “Boston as Seen by the Eagle and the Wild Goose.”

The first photograph (daguerreotype) of the Sun was taken by French physicists Louis Fizeau and Foucault Leon on April 2, 1845.

The first photograph from space was taken from the V-2 rocket, which was launched on October 24, 1946. This is a black and white image of the Earth taken with a 35 mm camera at an altitude of 104.6 km.

The photojournalist's name is unknown, but this image, taken in 1847, is considered the first news photograph. It shows a man who was detained by police in France.

John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States, became the first head of state to have his photograph taken. The daguerreotype was taken in 1843, many years after Adams left office.

This photograph was taken by photographer William Jennings in 1882.

Disasters are not the most pleasant topic, but you can learn from the mistakes of the past. This photo was taken in 1908, when aviator Thomas Selfridge died, becoming the first victim of a plane crash.

The Moon was first photographed by John William Draper on March 26, 1840. He obtained the image using daguerreotype from the rooftop observatory at New York University.

The first color landscape, showing the world natural colors, was filmed in 1877. Photographer Louis Arthur Ducos du Hauron, a pioneer of color photography, captured the landscape in the south of France.

The Earth was photographed from the Moon on August 23, 1966. This image was taken from the Lunar Orbiter traveling in close proximity to the Earth's satellite.

Nature sometimes demonstrates its enormous destructive power. This image of a tornado was taken in 1884 in Anderson County, Kansas. Amateur photographer A.A. Adams was 22.5 km from the tornado.

Did you like the article? Share with your friends!