History of Photography

• Photography originated in the early 19th century during the industrial revolution.
• Realism in photography captures the landscape, while allowing for artistic interpretation.
• Antonin Personnaz painted landscapes and figures by the water, using autochrome.
• Early photography pioneers were often painters in the early 19th century.
• An exhibition was held at the Pompidou Centre in Metz.
• Gustave le Gray photographed the Mona Lisa, focusing on the drawing rather than the original.
• Photography involves both the initial shot and post-processing work.
• Photography democratized access to art through reproduction and distribution.
• In 1895, photographs were used to restore Leonardo da Vinci's painting, The Last Supper.
• The camera obscura was improved in the 17th century and made portable, sometimes with a mirror to correct image inversion.

Photography Inventions

• Early photographic images were negative images obtained by contact.
• Thomas Wedgwood created photograms using a salt-based chemical process that darkened in sunlight, but the image was not fixed.
• William Henry Fox Talbot invented the "mouse trap" which produced photogenic drawings.
• The heliogravure/heliography technique used a copper plate and bitumen of Judea.
• Nicéphore Niépce (1765-1833) created the first historical photograph in 1826.
• Niépce's "Point de vue du Gras" showed a view from his window.
• Long exposure times (24-72 hours) caused inconsistencies in light and color in early photography.
• Louis Daguerre patented the daguerreotype in 1839.
• On January 7, 1839, Arago presented Daguerre's discovery to the Academy of Sciences in Paris.
• In the summer of 1839, the French state acquired the daguerreotype process in exchange for annual pensions to Daguerre and Niépce's son.
• August 19, 1839: Arago presents the daguerreotype in detail at a joint session of the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Fine Arts, at the Institut de France in Paris.
• A photo of the Boulevard du Temple showed an empty street because the long exposure time did not capture moving people, except for a man getting his shoes shined.
• Daguerréotypes were unique, non-reproducible, direct, and positive images.
• They were used for photographic portraits, preserving the real existence of a person.
• Hippolyte Bayard (1801-1887) produced direct positive images on paper in 1840.
• Bayard's self-portrait as a drowned man was the first staged photograph
• Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877) patented the calotype (paper negative) in 1841.
• Talbot's first reproducible image was of a window.
• He separated the printing from the negative.
• Images were inverted, using chemically treated paper exposed for several hours.
• Artwork from 1834 demonstrated nature drawing through sunlight (Pinceau de la nature) which highlights nature can effectively "draw" a scenery.
• Frederick Scott Archer (British) introduced the collodion process on glass in 1851.
  • This process offered reduced exposure times and finer detail
  • The process also required immediate development, necessitating a portable darkroom.
• Nadar's portrait studio aimed to capture the individuality of each model.
• Julia Margaret Cameron was another prominent portrait photographer.

Photography & Society

• Charles Baudelaire discussed the relationship between the modern public and photography in 1859.
• Baudelaire questions if photography should be considered art or industry stating Daguerre as a messiah.
• Photography reproduces nature exactly unlike art which transcends it
• Photography should serve as a "humble servant" to industry, documenting ruins and advancements.
• Photographers document architectural traces
• Others fear that art will be consumed and seek only to reproduce reality
• Photography became a machine-made product of the Industrial Revolution.
• In 1851, the first universal exposition was held at Crystal Palace in London.
• In 1855, photography was presented at the universal exposition in the industry pavilion.
• Félix Nadar (1820-1910) was a caricaturist who transitioned to portrait photography.
• In 1854, Nadar began using glass negatives.
• Adriend Tournachon utilized bright, harsh lighting in close-up shots with strong contrast.
• Félix Nadar's softer lighting captured the inner self of the individuals.
• Tournier said that the plate captures one's originality in a sunbeam.
• Jean Journet depicted Félix Nadar as an apostle inspired by Zurbaran's paintings.
• Mademoiselle Finette of the Bal Mabille embodies prostitution, cabaret, and photography.
• Nadar photographed the aristocracy and projected a certain image.
• Tournachon photographed the livestock farmers in traditional clothing instead of the animals at an agriculture fair in 1856.

Photography & Anthropology

• Photography was used to classify and hierarchize humans.
• Criminals were photographed to establish a "portrait type."
• Instructions were created for travelers and employees in the colonies elaborated by the Natural History Museum in 1865.

Portrait Carte-de-Visite

• (André Adolphe) Eugène Disdéri (1819-1889) reduced costs and technical advancements
• In 1854, introduced the "portrait carte-de-visite" which had eight images and were more affordable.
• This led to industrialization and commercialization of photography.
• Carte-de-visite became collectibles like Napoléon's photo in photo albums
• Albums became popular for collecting photographs of stars, leaders, and artists.
• Societal uniformity was achieved through these cards
• Disdéri offered costumes to fit the standards
• Disdéri patented a "multiplier chassis" in 1854.
• Photographs were collected in albums.

Evolution of Photography

• In the 1960s-1970s, Pierre Bourdieu and Gisèle Freund studied the sociology of photography, focusing on the role of portraiture.
• Pictorialism developed in Europe and Photo-Secession developed in the United States.
• Late 19th-early 20th centuries saw an effort to make photography resemble painting.
• Gustave le Gray (1820-1884) was a forerunner of pictorialism who belived photography should exist as it's own art.
• Gustave le Gray opened a studio on the Boulevard des Capucines.
  • Le Gray was originally a painter and was inspired by paintings to improve the look of his photos.
• During a time of epidemic in Paris in 1849, the artists took refuge in Fontainebleau.
• Le Gray elongated his passion into the forest leading to a turning point in photography during 1852-1856
• Le Gray valued capturing the sublime in art and used photomontages to address technical limitations.
• He focused on detail and made sure to account for the supports photographic
• Pictorialism (1890-1914) was the first artistic movement in photography.
• In 1888, the Photo Club of Paris showcased amateur photographers like Robert Demachy and Constant Puyo.
• Bichromate gum printing involved scratching or painting on images, similar to Impressionist techniques.
• Color tinting (sepia, sanguine) was added.
• Contrast between the representation and the subject represented (Robert Demachy) was key which led to subjects that were modern but aesthetically out dated.
• Céline Laguarde, a member of the Photo Club of Paris, employed compositions that inspired painting and specific staging.