Restoration of the House – Photo Gallery

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The House restoration

In 1999, Pierre-Yves Mahé, founder of Spéos photographic school, rented on the Gras estate,the part of the house where Niépce had located his laboratory-workshop in Saint-Loup de Varennes.
Pierre-Yves Mahe was the first photographer to occupy the place since the inventor’s death in 1833.The historical residence had remained unexplored until then,just gazed at from outside by some curious people.
With Jean-Louis Marignier,a scientist at the CNRS (French National Center of Scientific Research), they recreated Niépce’s working conditions,and with methodical diggings they rediscovered the site of his experiments.

Jean-Louis Marignier, Bernard and Eric Dodard comparing a lithograph by Isidore (?) with a photograph taken in 1850 by Petiot-Groffier …

Uncovering of the original floor in Niépce’s workshop.

Pierre-Yves Mahé looking for traces of the shift of the window from which was taken the world first photography.

Bernard Wala , cabinetmaker and restorer, uncovering the floors from Niépce’s time.

Bernard Wala, cabinetmaker and restorer, unhinging one of the doors from Niepce’s house for dating.

Traces in the walls showing many different fitting out at different periods of time.

Taking of samples from different mortars to be analyzed in the Medieval Studies center in Auxerre (CNRS).

Pieces of wood testifying of the modifications brought to the position of the window from which were taken the world first photographs.

Dating of wood pieces coming from Niepce’s house (Dendrochronology lab.CNRS Besançon)

Searching the well where Niepce used to draw water for his experiments, using maps of the house drawned in 1775 and 1830.

First reopening of the well where Niepce drew the water he used to wash his heliographs…

Research and identification of the whole irrigation system of the Gras (dating 1750).

Locating the position of the well where Niepce was drawing the water he used in his experiments.

Discovery of old floors posterior to Niepce (around 1870).

Patrick Barbottin observing modifications made to the walls of the house tower.

Christopher Davies, camerama, filmed the integral research on Niepce’s house (Here in the Dendrochronology lab.in Besançon).