History of
Photography
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How has photography changed
the way we do things?
1727

Professor J. Schulze
mixes chalk, nitric acid,
and silver in a flask;
notices darkening on
side of flask exposed to
sunlight.

Accidental creation of the
first photo-sensitive
compound.
1801



Thomas Young suggested that the human
eye contains three types of color sensitive
receptors. One sensitive to blue light, one to
green and one to red.
Varying signals from these receptors
produce, in our brain, any visible color.
When green, red and blue overlap the
combination is white light.
J. Nicephore Niepce

1826 - produced the first successful
permanent image (Heliograph)


Used material that hardened on exposure to light
Required 8 hours to expose
View from
Niepce’s
Window at Le
Gras.
Daguerreotype


1829 - Niepce and Louis Daguerre went into
partnership
1837 - The Daguerreotype was formed



Latent images could be formed into visible images
and then fixed
The images were very fragile, and laterally reversed
(like looking into a mirror)
While the daguerreotype made commercial
photography possible, its end product was a single
photo.

For patrons wanting copies of their portraits, a second
sitting was necessary.
Daguerreotype

Earliest known image of the Capitol Building.
Taken around 1846.

This daguerreotype of the east front of the Capitol
Building shows the original copper-topped wooden
dome.
1839

Sir John Herschel first used the term
“Photography”


The word is derived from the Greek words for light
and writing
The photographic process became public
1839


This photo gives the impression of empty
streets because of the long exposure
The once exception is when a man stopped
to have his shoes shined.

Although they remain anonymous, they may be
the first people to every have been photographed.
1842

The first modern news picture appeared in
“The Illustrated London News.”
1844


The first book to contain photographs was
“The Pencil of Nature” by William Fox Talbot
About 150 copies were made
between 1844-1846
Matthew Brady


1860 - Brady takes a photographic portrait of
Abraham Lincoln in New York
1861-1865 – Brady and staff expose over
7000 negatives while covering the American
Civil War
1865

Photographs and
photographic
negatives are
added to protected
works under
copyright
George Eastman


1884 - George Eastman invented flexible,
paper-based photographic film
1888 - Eastman founded the Eastman Kodak
Company by introducing the first mass
developing and processing service and the
first simplified camera system for the general
public, The Kodak Number 1.

Contained a 20-foot roll of
paper, enough for 100
2.5-inch diameter circular
pictures.
1889

Improved Kodak camera with roll of film
instead of paper

first transparent roll film
Film Speed

In 1890 the first independent system to give
emulsions speed numbers was developed.

This essentially led to the current ISO numbers on
film boxes today
Brownie

In 1900, the Brownie becomes the first massmarketed camera.
1912

Speed Graphic Camera introduced

Became dominant “press” camera for decades
1913

First 35mm still camera was developed
Ansel Adams, 1902-1984

In 1916 Ansel Adams
received his first camera

It was a Kodak Brownie Box
Camera
"There are always two people in
every picture: the photographer
and the viewer." ~ Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams, 1902-1984
Nikon

1917 - Nippon Kogaku K.K., which will
eventually become Nikon, established in Tokyo.
First Nikon camera: The
Nikon 1
1920s

Photojournalism was born in the 1920s when
the printing technology was mature enough to
support mass production.

What is the difference between Photography
and Photojournalism?
New Additions

1925 - First flashbulb invented in Germany by
Dr. Paul Vierkotter



Previously open flash powders were used
1934 - Fuji Photo Film founded. By 1938,
Fuji is making cameras and lenses in addition
to film.
1935 - Kodachrome is sold

The world’s first slide film
1939

Cover of Picture Post
1947


Dr. Edwin Land invented an “instant” picture
process, first called Polaroid Land.
The special camera sandwiched the exposed
negative with a receiving positive paper and
spread the processing chemicals between
the two.

After processing these were peeled apart.
1948

Cover of Life
1951

The first video tape recorder (VTR) captured
live images from television cameras by
converting the information into electrical
impulses and saving the information onto
magnetic tape.
1963

The Polaroid Corporation’s research team
invented the first instant color picture
material.
1964

Built in electronic flash first appears on the
Voigtlander Vitrona
1968

Photograph of the Earth from the moon
110-format

In 1972 110-format
cameras introduced
by Kodak with a
13x17mm frame
1978

The first camera with autofocus, Konica
C35AF, was introduced.
1980s

A system called DX coding was introduced
for 35mm films. The cassettes have an autosensing code printed on them which enable
certain cameras to automatically set the film
speed.

This information can also be used by processing
laboratories.
1981

Sony released the Sony Mavica electronic
still camera

The camera was the first commercial electronic
camera

Images were recorded onto a mini disc and then put
into a video reader that was connected to a television
monitor or color printer
1985


Pixar introduces digital imaging processor
Minolta markets the world's first autofocus
SLR system (called "Maxxum" in the US)
1987

Kodak and Fuji introduced novel disposable
cameras, the Kodak Fling and the Fuji
Quicksnap.


Both were sold in foil wrappers ready loaded with
film.
The complete camera was
given to the film processor
after exposure.
1990


Adobe Photoshop 1.0 is introduced for Apple
Macintosh computers
also
Eastman Kodak announced Photo CD as a
digital image storage medium
1992

JPEG is described in a paper for IEEE for the
first time
1993

Adobe Photoshop is made available for
MS-Windows computers
Digital SLR camera beginnings

1991- Introduced Kodak
DCS-100, first digital SLR,
a modified Nikon F3


1.3 MP
2000 - Canon introduced
the EOS D30, the first
digital SLR for the
consumer market.

3.25 MP
2000

Sharp and J-Phone introduced first camera
phone in Japan
How did the invention of the
camera phone change
photography?
2002
2003

More than 80% of Canon and Nikon’s sales
are digital
2004



Sales of new point-and-shoot cameras are
90% digital.
Nikon completely stops production of new
point-and-shoot 35mm cameras
Kodak ceases production of film cameras

One year later, in 2005, Kodak announced it
would discontinue production of its black and
white photographic printing papers
2006


Samsung announces first 10 megapixel
camera phone
Nikon stops production
of film cameras and
lenses
2007



Eastman Kodak implodes several buildings on their
Rochester, NY campus formerly used for film &
photographic paper production
Canon announces plans to build an additional 55
billion-yen ($585 MM) factory to double production
of CMOS sensors used in digital cameras
Apple unveiled its first iPhone
2009



First official U.S. Presidential picture taken
with a digital camera
Kodak announces it will discontinue Kodachrome film after
74 years of production
Nikon integrates a digital projector with a 12 MP camera
2010

Instagram was launched and distributed
through the Apple App Store.