1839Reputable sourceWell documented
The Daguerreotype
On the timeline · around 1839 ·
What happened
In 1839 Niépce's former partner Louis Daguerre unveiled the daguerreotype — the first practical photographic process — and the French government gave it 'free to the world.' Producing a stunningly detailed image on a silvered copper plate, it set off a global craze for photography almost overnight.
Why it matters
The daguerreotype made photography a reality for the public and is often taken as the birth of the medium. Its extraordinary detail gave people, for the first time, exact likenesses of themselves and their world — and unsettled the world of painting.
Sources
- George Eastman Museum. Daguerre Introduced Photography 175 Years Ago · Reputable source
Related timelines
- History of Art → — Photography's challenge to the art of painting