History of Photography

Photography comes from the Greek words meaning, “light writing.” No one person is credited with inventing photography Photography took several hundred years to reach present state Camera Obscura was the first camera – Johann Schulze – discovered first light-sensitive material 1816 – Joseph Niepce – World’s first photograph 1835 – Louis Daguerre – Daguerreotypes – silver sheets exposed to iodine vapor – Latent image – metal plate – only one print could be made 1841 – William Fox Talbot – Invented Calotypes or Talbotypes – Used paper – This technique of making a positive print from a negative is the basis of modern photography. Not as detailed, Multiple prints made – Frederick Scott Archer – Discovered Wet plate photography - Used collodion – a plastic-like substance to coat the plate. Had to be developed immediately, therefore photographers took darkrooms with them.

1871 – Richard Maddox – Invented dry plate photography – replaced wet collodion with gelatin and silver nitrate. Could be developed later. Changed photography forever. No longer had to take darkrooms along with them – James Maxwell – Demonstrated the first color photographs 1888 – George Eastman – Introduced the 100-shot box camera 1900 – George Eastman – Introduced the first Kodak “Brownie” camera 1930s – Flashbulb was invented 1947 – Edwin Land – Invented the Polaroid Land Camera What has happened since?????

Camera Obscura The camera obscura was a darkened room with a convex lens inserted in one wall. (curved outward) The scene outside the all passed through the lens and was projected on the opposite wall in full color. The image was smaller and turned upside down. Artist used it to trace the scene and paint. Later the camera obscura became a box like the one in this picture. In the box type, the image is reflected onto the top-mounted viewing screen by an inclined mirror behind the lens. The artist puts a piece of tracing paper on top of the viewing screen and traces the outline.

Joseph Niepce First Photograph

Louis Daguerre Daguerreotypes

William Fox Talbot Calotypes or Talbotypes

Wet Plate Dry Plate had to take along darkroom used collodion to coat glass plate used silver nitrate to sensitize to light plates had to be developed immediately Glass negative produced high quality prints Frederick Scott Archer invented this Used gelatin and silver nitrate Plate retained its sensitivity to light for some time Portable darkroom no longer needed Plate could be developed anytime after exposure Changed photography forever Founded by Richard L. Maddox

George Eastman  Introduced 100-shot box camera – first to use flexible roll film  Introduced the Kodak Brownie camera in 1900  Founder of the Eastman/Kodak Company

Edwin Land  Invented the Polaroid Instamatic Land Camera in  Photos would develop instantly after exposure.