10-Jun-2005, 09:42 PM
The process was made public in 1839, by Daguerre, but Fox-Talbot used a camera obscura ( a drawing aid described by Leonardo) and silver salts that darkened under light in 1835,to produce 'Photogenic Drawings' as he called them. This was at the same time as pioneers in France and Brazil. In 1552 , Fabricus, an alchemist, had discovered that the sun's rays would darken certain silver compounds..
The oldest photographic image extant is a heliograph (1827) by Niepce, whose process differs, but he can fairly be called the first to make 'an image from nature'.
1839 is the official year, but it's clear from his letters that Daguerre was making photographs as early as 1816!!
The oldest photographic image extant is a heliograph (1827) by Niepce, whose process differs, but he can fairly be called the first to make 'an image from nature'.
1839 is the official year, but it's clear from his letters that Daguerre was making photographs as early as 1816!!