Cosmic Photography Firsts

Delving into the history of photography undoubtedly unearths some interesting 'firsts' and milestones.  We as inhabitants of planet Earth have looked to the heavens since time began and marvelled at what lies out in the vastness of space. Astrophotography, the photography of celestial objects, has certainly played a part in making important discoveries and advancing our knowledge of the universe around us:  

January 2, 1839 - Louis Daguerre takes the first known photograph of the moon. Sadly the image does not survive as it was destroyed in a lab fire on March 8 of the same year. Capturing  this image would not have been an easy process, as it involved burning mercury and gold and required great skill in the application of liquids and emulsions. 

July 17, 1850 - Harvard Observatory captures Vega, the second brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere. Vega is the first star after the sun to ever be photographed, and the first to have it's spectrum, or range of electromagnetic radiation, measured. This lead to Vega being the baseline against which other stars are compared. 

February 18, 1930 the planet of Pluto was discovered as the result of a photograph by Clyde Tombaugh. Tasked with the job of finding proof of a mysterious ninth Planet X, Tombaugh took pairs of photographs of the night sky over a two week period in January 1930, then viewed them using a blink comparator, to rapidly switch between photographic plates with the hope of detecting any movement of an object's position in the sky.  This approach lead to the discovery of a possible moving object between the plates taken on January 23 and January 29. The movement was confirmed by a lesser quality image from January 2. Following further confirming photographs, news of the discovery was dispatched to Harvard Observatory on March 13.

Commercialising Photography

A Cyanotype
portrait of John Herschel

In the early 1830’s, popularity surrounding photographic image production and reproduction was growing. English scientist, astronomer and chemist John Herschel discovered and patented the ‘Cyanotype’, a process that uses a photosensitive compound applied to a paper or cloth surface which is secured to a contact negative and then exposed to UV light. When the latent image is placed in water, the chemicals react, revealing the positive image in a cyan blue colour; a characteristic that gave birth to the name ‘Cyanotype’.

The ‘Cyanotype’ gained popularity through its simplicity and economical nature and although he created this process, Herschel never applied it to photography, using this photogram style process 
primarily for research purposes, duplicating notes, diagrams and blueprints.

Cyanotype of Algae - Anna Atkins 1843

In later years, Herschel coined the terms ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ in relation to photography and also conducted experiments on platinum process and colour reproduction, however, possibly the most significant influence Hershel had on the history of photography came when he discovered ‘sodium thiosulfate’ to be a solvent of silver halides and therefore, could be used as a photographic fixer.

This innovative research was read at London’s Royal Society and Herschel passed on said information to two men who pioneered early commercial photographic processing; William Henry Fox Talbot and Louis Daguerre.

Louis Daguerre

William Henry Fox Talbot

In 1840, William Henry Fox Talbot of England and Louis Daguerre of France almost independently announced their photographic process discoveries. Unbeknownst to either party, both men had been experimenting with largely differing photographic processes, that at the time, were in close competition with one and other to become the first widely used commercial photographic process. Daguerre’s process was superior in its day, however, the future belonged to Talbot’s technology and aspects of his process resemble film techniques that are still used today.

A Daguerreotype that is widely recognised as the worlds first
photograph of a human being - Louis Daguerre 1838

Daguerre’s process; the ‘Daguerreotype’, exposed images on a silvered copper plate, not unlike that of his short-term colleague Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. Talbot’s ‘Calotype’ process created a negative image from which multiple positive images could be printed.

When released to the public, the ‘Daguerreotype’ had some benefits over it’s rival British technique. The advantage of having a much sharper image recreation, and the fact that Daguerre was able to release his process to the public for free, resulted in the ‘Daguerreotype’ gaining precedence as a commercial photographic method.

The ‘Daguerreotype’, however, did have serious limitations. The reflective nature of the silvered positive images meant photographs could only be viewed well from certain angles. The process also could only produce one-of-a-kind images that did not permit duplication. These factors, along with the discovery that due to the presence of mercury in the development, many of those to use the process began to fall ill and die, contributed to the demise of the commercial ‘Daguerreotype’.

Calotype of Chain Bridge, Newhaven - 1841

The public began to move away from the 'Daguerrotype' process, especially in the United Kingdom and Europe, and replace it with Talbot's 'Calotype'. Primarily due to the inexpensive nature of the process; the 'Calotype' became widely used until wet plate processes were discovered in the late 19th century

The ‘Daguerreotype’ process preceded contemporary ‘Tintype’ and ‘Ambrotype’ plate processes and although it was a prominent photographic process for over 15 years after photography’s invention, it was Talbot’s ‘Calotype’ – duplicate images printed from a negative – that became the basis for 20^th century photography.

The Birth Of Photography

Photography as a medium is very young, having only been around for approximately 200 years. In this short space of time, techniques and technologies relative to photography have dramatically evolved. There are however, significant fundamentals and discoveries pre-dating the physical camera that still contribute to modern photography as it is recognised today.

Early Camera Obscura

In approximately the year 340BC, Greek philosopher, Aristotle realized and applied the principal of the Camera Obscura. Although there is no way yet to capture the image, it is likely that early Camera Obscuras in the renaissance period were used for capturing likeness in drawings and paintings, rather than intended as photographic equipment.

The discovery of silver nitrate in the early 1200’s made possible; the development of film technology, and human success in manipulating light using glass (Telescopes, Magnifying Glass, Spectacles, ect.) was the foundation for the development of lens elements.

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce

Yet, evidence suggests that it wasn’t until the 19^th century when people began to improve techniques and acquire an interest in photography. The earliest surviving photograph dates back to 1826 as the result of much experimentation at the hands of French inventor; Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.

Today widely recognized as history’s first photographer; Niépce’s was born in 1765 and his early life was spent fleeing his home in Burgundy during the French revolution, and serving time as a staff officer in the French army, before illness forced his resignation. It wasn’t until 1801 when Niépce returned to his family beet farm in Châlons that he and his brother Claude designed the world first internal combustion engine.

With his mind set on scientific research, Niépce began to experiment with photographic techniques. Using a light sensitive bitumen derivative, coated on a polished pewter plate, inside a Camera Obscura; he exposed for approximately 8 hours, developing and fixing the plate in a lavender oil solution.

The resulting image, View from the Window at Le Gras, still exists to this day, earning Niépce’s exposure the title of history’s first ‘fixed light image’ and it is today considered the worlds first example of a photograph.

 

View from the Window at Le Gras - 1826

After partnering with a young Louis Daguerre in 1829, Niépce continued his research until he tragically died four years later, financially ruined by the frivolous spending of his mad brother Claude; so much so that his grave was funded by the French government.

It is an unfortunate truth that during his life Joseph Nicéphore Niépce did not receive recognition befitting a person who played such a dramatic role in the invention of photography. It is true, however, that among photographers today; Niépce’s works, although limited, are very highly regarded and celebrated for the contribution they have had to the history of image making.