Top 7 Oldest Photographs Ever Taken

Photography is a medium that has shaped our perception of the world and our place within it, allowing us to capture moments, landscapes, and the faces of our loved ones with remarkable precision.

The birth of photography was not a sudden, lightning-strike moment but rather a gradual, centuries-long evolution driven by the human desire to immortalize the fleeting and the beautiful.

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Early attempts at creating permanent images involved obscure techniques like the camera obscura, which projected an outside scene onto a darkened room, or the creation of shadowy outlines on light-sensitive surfaces.

Here we would like to share with you the top 7 oldest photographs ever taken in this world.

7. A Man Getting Arrested (1847)

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The person behind this photograph is currently unknown as well as the person in it. But one thing for sure is that this piece of photography is known to be the oldest one out there. If you look closely at the picture, you will see a man getting arrested with a slight smirk on his face.

This photograph, however, was known to be taken in France, and because of the unspecified identity of the man in the picture, god knows what he has done to be in such a situation. But he definitely seems content with what he has achieved.

This moment in time is definitely a starting point of the revolution of photographs back in the day with so many meanings behind the picture.

6. John Quincy Adams's Portrait (1843)

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

We all can see each President of the United States getting their own official portrait. However, from the earliest President George Washington to James Monroe, none of them had the opportunity to be photographed. It wasn't until John Quincy Adams' tenure that the possibility of capturing a president through photography arose.

What adds intrigue to this photograph is that it was taken after Adams had already concluded his term in office. At the time, John Tyler held the presidential seat, and Adams' image was painted instead of photographed.

The first president to be captured on film while in office was James K. Polk, succeeding Tyler. Presently, this photograph is housed in The Smithsonian.

5. A Man Drowning (1840)

This photograph has quite the story behind it and rivalries have been a thing since the dawn of time. During the mid-1800s, a pivotal era in the evolution of photography, there were two individuals engaged in a heated contest for the esteemed title of "Father of Photography." These notable figures were Hippolyte Bayard and Louis Daguerre, whose stories will be explored in more detail later in this compilation.

Both Bayard and Daguerre were engrossed in the pursuit of devising a novel photographic development process, and their rivalry was marked by intense competition. It is worth noting that historical accounts suggest Bayard actually achieved the development process first, yet he neglected to formally communicate his findings to the French Academy of Sciences. In contrast, Daguerre dutifully presented his discoveries, ultimately securing the coveted title.

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In response to the disappointment and resentment of losing out to Daguerre, Bayard attempted to stage a poignant portrayal of his sorrow by posing as having taken his own life. Nevertheless, it is imperative to highlight that the image itself was an entirely fabricated representation of this alleged act.

4. Portrait of Robert Cornelius (1839)

It looks to me that Rober Cornelius is taking his own selfie with the phone slightly blurred out. Well, in this case, the word selfie was actually first invented back in 1839 by a man known as Robert Cornelius who was merely a lamp maker with a hint of photography skills.

Given the massive size of cameras at the time, some of you might be curious about the method Robert employed to capture this moment. Well, he positioned the camera at the rear of his family's store in Philadelphia, meticulously uncovering the lens. 

Afterward, he swiftly darted in front of the camera, assuming his position for a full minute before exiting the frame once more. The outcome? The birth of the world's earliest selfie photograph.

3. Central High School (1839)

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Within this image, we behold the earliest photographic depiction of Philadelphia, which holds the distinction of being the oldest surviving photograph captured within the United States. Joseph Saxton, an inventive enthusiast and amateur photographer hailing from Philadelphia, stands as the mastermind behind this historic image. 

His contributions to the realm of photography left an enduring mark, with his legacy and that of fellow pioneers commemorated in a dedicated gallery in Canton, Ohio. This particular photograph immortalizes Central High School, situated at the juncture of Juniper and Walnut streets. 

A remarkable aspect of its creation lies in the fact that it reportedly demanded a painstaking duration of ten full minutes to be captured, an extended exposure that accounts for the conspicuous absence of any human figures within the frame.

2. Boulevard du Temple (1838)

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Looking at it first, this image may bear the appearance of a bustling Parisian city street, but it is recognized as the earliest known photograph featuring a human subject. To discern the person captured within, one need only direct their gaze to the lower left-hand corner of the frame. 

There, a gentleman stands in apparent stillness, engaged in the simple act of having his shoes shined. It was this momentary pause that permitted the camera to immortalize him. In that era, the process of photography necessitated a prolonged exposure time of roughly 10 minutes for a successful image to develop.

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Prior to the creation of this photograph, the realm of photography had yet to capture the likeness of a human due to the imperative requirement of immobility during exposure. Until this juncture, only inanimate subjects had graced the frames of early cameras. Intriguingly, this photograph was an inadvertent occurrence. 

Its creator, Louis Daguerre, to whom credit is given for pioneering the daguerreotype style of photography, was merely engaged in the act of photographing the street itself, unintentionally giving birth to this landmark image.

1. Window View (1826)

This right here is the oldest photographic artifact known to mankind, an image immortalized by the skillful hand of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce back in 1826. Niépce harnessed a photographic technique referred to as heliography, which entailed the application of Bitumen of Judea onto a surface, typically metal or glass. 

As light played upon this Bitumen, it underwent a transformation, solidifying and etching the scene before it. In the instance of this particular photograph, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce embarked on a remarkable venture, allowing the exposure to persist for an astonishing duration of eight hours. 

Although it may appear unassuming and somewhat challenging to decipher, this, without a doubt, marks the inaugural photograph ever created, now proudly exhibited at the Harry Ransom Center, located within the precincts of the University of Texas at Austin.

Source:

• Tribun Travel

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