Pixiq

If you know something of the earliest history of photography, the names of Thomas Wedgwood, Henry Fox Talbot and Louis Daguerre along with their contributions are quite familiar. Less familiar to many is the early work of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce whom historians generally agree was the first to actually produce a photograph that did not fade over time. In 1827 Niépce was about to present what amounted to a portfolio of six images he had made using his unique photo process to England’s Royal Society. But he never had the opportunity because of organizational problems at the society and thus returned to his home in France. Until now, these images and the man who produced them have not received the full credit for what they represented in terms of the history of photography.

A just completed international conference in England organized by that country’s National Media Museum and the Getty Conservation Institute of Los Angeles, California, examined all aspects of Niépce’s work in order to better evaluate his overall contribution to the development of photography. Part of that conference included disclosure of a critical examination of three of those original Niépce plates from 1827. Using the most advanced forms of analysis available, senior Getty scientist, Dr. Dusan Stulik, concluded that Niépce’s photographs should be elevated to the highest level of recognition marking the beginning of photography.

 "Our findings are shining a different light on the early history of photography than has been previously described in literature. We have been able to create a fuller picture of Niépce and how he worked, and we can really demonstrate that everything related to photography that surrounds us today – digital cameras, film, TV, even 3D and videogames, go back to his inventions."

 Additional information concerning the findings of the conference and research outcomes are available from the National Media Museum web site in the “News” section along with a brief video featuring Dr. Stulik. http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/