The year 2024 marks the 200th anniversary of the invention of photography by Nicéphore Niépce. The debate about the exact date of the bicentennial hinges on the distinction between the earliest photographic experiments and the preservation of a tangible object.
Although the View from the Window at Le Gras from 1827 is often presented as the first photograph, documented evidence shows that Niépce’s first successes date back to 1824.
What is photography?
The word photography comes from two Greek roots:
- “photo” (φῶς, phos), which means light,
- “graphy” (γραφή, graphê), which means writing, drawing, or graphic representation.
In ancient Greek, it derives from the verb γράφειν (graphein), meaning to write, draw, or engrave. Thus, it generally refers to any act of marking, tracing, or representing something.
Etymologically, photography can therefore be defined as writing with light or drawing with light. This reflects its fundamental principle: capturing an image through the action of light on a sensitive surface, whether chemical or electronic (in the case of digital sensors), and fixing it—making this image permanent on a medium. It should be noted that the term “photography” was coined by the British scientist Sir John Herschel in 1839, long after the invention of the photographic principle itself, which was then called “retina” and later “heliography” by Nicéphore Niépce.
The letter of September 16, 1824: a crucial historical proof
The letter from Nicéphore Niépce, dated September 16, 1824, constitutes valuable evidence of his earliest photographic successes. It provides a detailed account of his successful experiments. Niépce writes to his brother Claude, who was then living in Hammersmith, England, as follows:
“I am pleased to finally be able to announce to you that, thanks to the improvement of my methods, I have succeeded in obtaining a view as I had hoped for (…). This view was taken from your room facing Le Gras; and for this purpose, I used my largest camera obscura and my largest stone. The image of the objects is depicted with astonishing clarity, fidelity to the smallest details, and with their most delicate nuances. Since this counterproof is almost colorless, one can best judge the effect by looking at the stone obliquely: it is then that it becomes perceptible to the eye, with the help of shadows and light reflections; and this effect, I must say, my dear friend, truly has something magical about it. (…) In the meantime, you can, from today, regard the success of the application of my methods to views, whether on stone or glass, as a demonstrated and indisputable fact.”
After multiple unsuccessful attempts, Nicéphore Niépce finally announces to his brother that he has achieved a conclusive result. Until this letter, he himself admitted to having obtained only “very incomplete results.” However, by mid-September 1824, the progress he made marks a true culmination: the first form of his invention emerges. The world’s first photograph is thus obtained on a limestone plate, depicting a view of the Le Gras property taken from Claude’s room.
Claude’s Response to Nicéphore, September 28, 1824
The reception of Nicéphore’s letter by his brother Claude and the comments he subsequently sends in his letter dated September 28, 1824, reinforce its value as an authentic testimony. Thus, the idea as a fully developed concept clearly emerges in 1824:
(…) Please, therefore, accept my most sincere and eager congratulations for the successful results you have just achieved, my dear friend, which seem to leave no doubt about the complete success of your brilliant discovery. It entirely belongs to you, and I can only express my gratitude for such generous offers, which so clearly demonstrate the tenderness and sincerity of your affection for me, my dear friend. I can only accept them, to prove my own affection for you, and to encourage you as well to accept those I have had the pleasure of making to you. My greatest regret is to have so far been deprived of the great satisfaction of being able to realize them, but what is delayed is not lost, and Heaven, I hope, will bless our mutual good intentions by granting both of us success in our work. I am eagerly awaiting, my dear friend, the details you kindly mentioned, if the weather, which has been quite unfavorable here, has not prevented you from continuing your fascinating research. I sincerely hope so because it is essential that you take advantage of the rest of the fine season to complete it, which seems fortunately well advanced. How I wish for our mutual success so that we can both, my dear friend, share in person the fruits of our work, which have required so much dedication and sacrifice(s) (…).
The year 1824 is also identified as the year of the invention of photography by Nicéphore Niépce’s son, Isidore Niépce, on page 17 of his work Historique de la découverte improprement appelée daguerréotype (Paris, 1841). He writes about his father: “In 1824, he finally succeeded in fixing the images of the camera obscura onto his prepared screens. Although these results were still imperfect, the problem was nonetheless solved.”
These facts are also confirmed by various biographers of the 1850s:
- Abel Niépce de Saint-Victor, who had the opportunity to witness Nicéphore’s heliographic experiments (Causerie des Savants, in Le Petit Journal, January 14, 1867, p. 1, col. 4),
- and Ernest Lacan (Les Inventeurs modernes, in Moniteur Universel, January 16, 1853, p. 8).
To support this hypothesis, the direct testimony of Abel Niépce de Saint-Victor, Nicéphore’s cousin, is invaluable. Born in 1805, Abel occasionally assisted Nicéphore’s experiments, calling him “my uncle.” According to his recollections, Nicéphore once told a friend: “One day, I will reproduce my image as I see it in a mirror.” In a 1873 publication, Abel mentions: “Following the study published by Mr. Ernest Lacan on January 16, 1853, in Le Moniteur Universel, titled Les Inventeurs modernes, a large number of articles and biographies confirmed that Niépce invented photography in 1824.” At the time, Abel was 19 years old and, inspired by his “uncle,” he continued his work, notably contributing the major innovation of the glass negative.
These testimonies align perfectly with the analysis of Nicéphore’s correspondence, confirming that the invention of photography indeed dates back to 1824. As Jean-Louis Marignier writes in his book Niépce, l’invention de la photographie on p. 171: “These testimonies perfectly align with the analysis we have conducted on Niépce’s correspondence. They confirm that the invention of photography should indeed be dated to 1824. This is a significant moment in our history, as important as the first cave paintings, the Sumerian writing tablets created three thousand years before our era, or lithography, the revolution in image printing. An intriguing coincidence is that stone serves as the common medium for all these advances.”
The Heliograph of 1827: A Tangible Proof, but Later than the First Successes
The images produced by Niépce in 1824 have disappeared, likely due to the reuse of the expensive materials at the time. However, the fact that his methods were later reproducible proves the viability of his process.
The View from the Window at Le Gras from 1827 is often cited as the first tangible photograph. However, it does not correspond to Niépce’s first photographic successes. Although this heliograph is a physical proof, it does not reflect the true beginnings of photography. It is simply the oldest photograph in the world that has survived to this day.
This View from the Window was created by Nicéphore Niépce in July 1827. A few months later, when he traveled to England, Niépce gifted it to botanist Franz Bauer. After Bauer’s death, the image was auctioned at Christie’s. Robert Brown, a curator at the British Museum, became the buyer. Upon his death in 1858, his assistant, J.J. Bennet, inherited the plate. It remained with the Bennet family until it was auctioned again in 1884.
The plate was then purchased by H. Baden-Pritchard, editor of the journal Photographic News, who died two weeks after acquiring it. His wife kept the plate. She passed away in 1917. During the war, their son Pritchard was granted a three-day leave to bury his mother and packed her belongings into a trunk, which he left in a London storage depot before returning to the army.
In 1950, Helmut Gernsheim traced Pritchard’s son, who claimed the family no longer possessed the plate—it had not been returned after being loaned for an exhibition. Pritchard’s son died in 1951. His widow found a receipt in his papers for the 1917 storage of the trunk. It contained, among other items, Niépce’s famous image. Gernsheim received it as a donation in February 1952. In 1964, he sold his collection to the University of Texas, including View from the Window, which has since been housed at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center in Austin, Texas.
The Letter from Daguerre to Isidore Niépce, Son of Nicéphore
Seven days after the death of Nicéphore Niépce, Daguerre wrote to the latter’s son, Isidore Niépce, acknowledging that Nicéphore was the inventor of photography. He confirms that the invention exists and that he is not its original author. This letter thus concludes the debate about who is the true inventor of photography.
July 12, 1833
My dear friend Isidore,
I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate event that has befallen you. That good Mr. Niépce—I loved him as much as if he had been my father. This blow is also terribly painful for me. Yes, it is with eyes filled with tears that I write to you; I don’t need to describe the sorrow I feel. Your love for your parents will make it easy for you to understand how deeply this loss affects me.
It takes away all my courage at this moment, but we must instead double our efforts, thinking that we will immortalize his name through the publication of his discovery.
How happy he would have been to see it brought to light!
I thank you for the sentiments you express to me; it is a consolation for me to find in the son the friend I have lost.
Farewell, my dear friend; please express to your mother how affected I am. I told her several times that I considered myself part of the family; I feel today, through the pain I am experiencing, that I was sincere.
Please also extend my respects to your wife, as well as to Mr. and Mrs. Champmartin.
Your devoted friend for life,
Daguerre
Commemorative Exhibition
On the occasion of the bicentennial of the invention of photography, the Nicéphore Niépce House and the Spéos Photography School (which has managed the Niépce House since 1999) have organized an exclusive exhibition to commemorate this landmark event in history. This exhibition retraces the fascinating history of photography and the efforts of Nicéphore Niépce, a visionary inventor, who captured the first permanent image in 1824. It is on display in Paris, at Quai de la Photo, from September 16 to December 20, 2024.
Acknowledgments to the partners who contributed to the bicentennial celebrations
Press Review
AFP
TV
Radio
Segment broadcast on RFM: “MATCH” on 09/21/24 – by Philippe Legrand
Sud Radio, Inside the House of Nicéphore Niépce, Father of Photography, 200 Years Ago
https://www.sudradio.fr/societe/dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-pere-de-la-photographie-il-y-a-200-ans#google_vignette
Print Media
Réponses Photo, Issue #373 – 200 Years of Photography
Réponses Photo, Issue #377 – February 2025, “2024, Bicentennial Year: The Proof in Writing”
https://www.pressreader.com/france/reponses-photo/20250206/281956023470988?srsltid=AfmBOooi5mCNT1Tv0iwM1lpBlZexrcTYSsM8Xa74umcgEZ18OQT5EBFf
La Provence, Inside the House of Nicéphore Niépce, Father of Photography, 200 Years Ago
https://www.laprovence.com/article/france-monde/1015196109713514/dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-pere-de-la-photographie-il-y-a-200-ans
France 3 Région, His Invention Turned 200 and Changed the World… Yet He Became Famous Only After His Death
https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/bourgogne-franche-comte/saone-et-loire/chalon-sur-saone/son-invention-geniale-a-200-ans-et-elle-a-change-le-monde-nicephore-niepce-un-heritage-immense-3032648.html
Journalistes du Patrimoine, Photography Bicentennial: A Celebration Not to Miss
https://journalistes-patrimoine.org/bicentenaire-de-la-photographie-une-celebration-a-ne-pas-manquer/
Le Journal de Saône et Loire, The First Photo is Truly 200 Years Old
Le Journal de Saône et Loire, Paris Hosts an Exhibition for the Bicentennial of Niépce’s Photo Invention
https://www.lejsl.com/culture-loisirs/2024/09/16/le-bicentenaire-de-l-invention-de-la-photo-par-niepce-s-expose-a-paris
France Bleu, 200 Years Ago, The Very First Photo in the World Was Taken Near Chalon-sur-Saône
https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/insolite/il-y-a-200-ans-la-toute-premiere-photo-au-monde-est-prise-pres-de-chalon-sur-saone-8618590
Corse Matin, Inside the House of Nicéphore Niépce, Father of Photography, 200 Years Ago
https://www.corsematin.com/article/francemonde/1063457262158814/dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-pere-de-la-photographie-il-y-a-200-ans
News 24, Photography Turns 200 Today
https://news-24.fr/la-photographie-fete-aujourdhui-ses-200-ans
Orange, Inside the House of Nicéphore Niépce, Father of Photography, 200 Years Ago https://video-streaming.orange.fr/autres/dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-pere-de-la-photographie-il-y-a-200-ans-CNT000002f1QnH.html
Yahoo, Inside the House of Nicéphore Niépce, Father of Photography, 200 Years Ago
https://fr.news.yahoo.com/maison-nic%C3%A9phore-ni%C3%A9pce-p%C3%A8re-photographie-065540521.html?guccounter=1
Arts in the City, Bicentennial Exhibition of Photography Invention at Quai de la Photo
https://www.arts-in-the-city.com/2024/09/25/exposition-bicentenaire-de-linvention-de-la-photographie-au-quai-de-la-photo/
Sortir à Paris, Quai de la Photo Celebrates the Bicentennial of Photography with a Free Exhibition
https://www.sortiraparis.com/arts-culture/exposition/articles/319461-le-quai-de-la-photo-celebre-le-bicentenaire-de-l-invention-de-la-photographie-avec-une-expo-gratuite
L’Officiel des Spectacles, Bicentennial of the Invention of Photography https://www.offi.fr/expositions-musees/quai-de-la-photo-7171/bicentenaire-de-linvention-de-la-photographie-98702.html
Exhibition listing on Paris Photo Agenda (November 2024 at the Grand Palais)
https://agenda.parisphoto.com/detail,bicentenary-of-the-invention-of-photography.htm?zoom=237B7644-4777-CCB2-6CBD-485FD27D3B5E
Exhibition listing on Calendart https://calendart.fr/expositions/bicentenaire-de-linvention-de-la-photographie
Opening announcement on Wipplay’s Threads https://www.threads.net/@wipplay/post/C_-OOR6IVSw
Follow Paris, Bicentennial of the Invention of Photography, at Quai de la Photo
https://www.followparis.com/outplay/parisEvents/Bicentenaire-de-l-invention-de-la-photographie-%C3%A0-Quai-de-la-Photo-68294
Others
Gens d’Images, Favorites – Bicentennial of the Invention of Photography, Quai de la Photo, Paris
https://gensdimages.com/2024/09/17/coups-de-coeur-bicentenaire-de-linvention-de-la-photographie-quai-de-la-photo-paris/
Herodote History Website – by André Larané
September 16, 1824 – The First Photograph Revealed by Nicéphore Niépce https://www.herodote.net/histoire/evenement.php?jour=18240916&ID_dossier=607
Hotels Paris Rive Gauche, Exhibition for the Bicentennial of Photography Invention at Quai de la Photo Until December 20, 2024
https://www.hotels-paris-rive-gauche.com/blog/2024/09/16/exposition-bicentenaire-invention-photographie-paris-hotels/
Picto, Quai de la Photo Celebrates the Photography Bicentennial!
https://www.picto.fr/2024/le-quai-de-la-photo-celebre-le-bicentenaire-de-la-photographie/
City of Paris Website, Bicentennial of the Invention of Photography, at Quai de la Photo
https://www.paris.fr/evenements/bicentenaire-de-l-invention-de-la-photographie-a-quai-de-la-photo-68294
La Gazette France, Inside the House of Nicéphore Niépce, Father of Photography, 200 Years Ago
https://www.lagazettefrance.fr/article/dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-pere-de-la-photographie-il-y-a-200-ans
Unidivers, Bicentennial of the Invention of Photography, at Quai de la Photo, Paris
https://www.unidivers.fr/event/bicentenaire-de-linvention-de-la-photographie-a-quai-de-la-photo-quai-de-la-photo-ville1-paris-2024-09-16t0200000200
PhotoTrend, 200 Years of Photography: Quai de la Photo Pays Tribute to Nicéphore Niépce
https://phototrend.fr/2024/11/expo-200-ans-quai-photo-hommage-nicephore-niepce/
International
PetaPixel, Photography Turns 200 Years Old Today
https://petapixel.com/2024/09/16/photography-turns-200-years-old-today
La Libre (Belgian Newspaper), Inside the House of Nicéphore Niépce, Father of Photography, 200 Years Ago
https://www.lalibre.be/videos/2024/09/14/dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-pere-de-la-photographie-il-y-a-200-ans-xlslfrr/
RTL Belgium, Inside the House of Nicéphore Niépce, Father of Photography, 200 Years Ago
https://www.rtl.be/actu/magazine/culture/dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-pere-de-la-photographie-il-y-200-ans/2024-09-16/article/711256
L’Orient-Le Jour (Lebanon), Inside the House of Nicéphore Niépce, Father of Photography
https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1427627/dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-pere-de-la-photographie.html
