Bicentenary of the Invention of Photography

In 2024, photography celebrated its 200^th anniversary.

This commemoration was initiated by the Spéos photography school, patron of the Nicéphore Niépce House since 1999, and by the Niépce House itself. For 25 years, the two institutions have jointly carried out extensive research on Niépce’s inventions and on the documentation of his discoveries.

The symbolic date of 1824 highlights the pioneering work of Nicéphore Niépce, inventor of the photographic process. The debate about the exact date of the bicentenary arises from the need to distinguish between Niépce’s first successful experiments in image-making and the first surviving photograph. Although View from the Window at Le Gras, dated 1827, is often cited as the first photograph, several sources confirm that Niépce’s first stable images date back to 1824.

The Origin of the Word “Photography”

Derived from Ancient Greek, the term combines:

photo (φῶς, phōs), meaning light,
and graphy (γραφή, graphê), meaning the act of drawing or writing.

These roots come from the verb graphein (γράφειν), used to express the idea of inscription, tracing, or engraving. In this sense, the word “photography” can be interpreted as writing or drawing with light.

This etymological definition perfectly reflects the very essence of photography: a process of capturing an image through the action of light on a sensitive surface — originally chemical supports, and today digital sensors — and making this image durable, fixing it permanently on a medium.

It is worth noting that the term “photography” was introduced much later, in 1839, by British scientist Sir John Herschel, whereas Nicéphore Niépce himself referred to his work using the terms retina, heliography, or physautotype.

The Letter of September 16, 1824: A Foundational and Crucial Historical Proof

Among the key documents attesting to Niépce’s success is a letter dated September 16, 1824, addressed to his brother Claude, then living in Hammersmith, near London. Niépce described his progress in detail:

“I have the satisfaction of finally being able to announce to you that, through the refinement of my processes, I have succeeded in obtaining a view such as I could desire (…). This view was taken from your room on the side of Le Gras; for this purpose, I used my largest c.o. [camera obscura] and my largest stone. The image of the objects is represented there with sharpness, astonishing fidelity, down to the smallest details, and with the most delicate nuances. Since this counterproof is almost not colored, one can best appreciate its effect by looking at the stone obliquely: it is then that it becomes visible to the eye, aided by shadows and reflections of light; and this effect, I can tell you, my dear friend, really has something magical about it. (…) Meanwhile, you may, from this day forward, consider as demonstrated and undeniable the success of the application of my processes to views, whether on stone or on glass.”

The letter of September 16, 1824, can be found in the online volume Niépce, Correspondance et Papiers (pp. 706–711)

After many unsuccessful experiments, Nicéphore Niépce informed his brother that he had finally reached a major breakthrough. Until then, he admitted having achieved only “very incomplete results.” But in September 1824, he crossed a decisive threshold: his work produced a first functional version of his process.

This success materialized in the creation of the very first photographic image, made on a limestone plate. It depicted a scene observed from Claude Niépce’s room, overlooking the Le Gras estate.

Claude Niépce’s Reply of September 28, 1824

The reception of Niépce’s letter by his brother Claude, and the comments sent back 12 days later, reinforced its authenticity.
The concept of the invention clearly emerged in 1824:

“(…) Please accept my most sincere and eager congratulations for the fortunate successes you have just achieved, my dear friend, which appear to leave no further doubt as to the complete success of your brilliant discovery, for it belongs entirely to you (…). My only regret is to have been deprived until now of the great satisfaction of being able to bring them to life, but what is delayed is not lost, and heaven, I hope, will bless our mutual good intentions by granting us both success in our endeavors. I await with eagerness the details you promised me (…).”

The letter of September 28, 1824, from Claude Niépce to his brother Nicéphore can be found in the online volume Niépce, Correspondance et Papiers (p. 714)

The Recognition of 1824 by Relatives and Historians

The year 1824 is also identified as the year of the invention of photography by Nicéphore Niépce’s son, Isidore Niépce.
In 1841, in his book Historical Account of the Discovery Improperly Called Daguerreotype, he wrote (p. 17) about his father:
“In 1824, he finally succeeded in fixing on his prepared screens the images of the camera obscura. Although these results were still imperfect, the problem was nonetheless solved.”

This testimony is corroborated by major 19th-century figures, such as Abel Niépce de Saint-Victor, who witnessed his cousin Nicéphore’s experiments (Causerie des Savants, in Le Petit Journal, January 14, 1867), and Ernest Lacan, who reported on these works in the press (Les Inventeurs modernes, in Moniteur Universel, January 16, 1853).

Abel Niépce de Saint-Victor’s direct testimony is especially valuable. He recalled a memorable confidence from Nicéphore:
“One day, I will reproduce my image as I see it in a mirror.”

In 1873, he added:
“Following the study published by Mr. Ernest Lacan on January 16, 1853, in Le Moniteur Universel, entitled The Modern Inventors, numerous articles and biographies confirmed that Niépce invented photography in 1824.”

The analysis of Niépce’s correspondence by Jean-Louis Marignier (CNRS researcher), in Niépce, l’invention de la photographie, also confirms this dating (p. 171):
“These testimonies perfectly match our analysis of Niépce’s correspondence. They confirm that the invention of photography is indeed to be dated to 1824. A major moment in our history, as important as the first cave paintings, the Sumerian clay tablets written three thousand years before our era, or lithography, the revolution in printed images. A strange coincidence that stone should be the common medium for all these advances.”

1827: A Tangible Photograph, but Later

Niépce’s photographs from 1824 have not survived, likely because the rare and costly materials he used were later reused. Despite the absence of originals, the fact that his process could be reproduced later attests to its reliability.

View from the Window at Le Gras, made in 1827, is often presented as the first known photograph. However, it does not represent Niépce’s first successes. While this heliograph is a precious material trace, it does not mark the starting point of the history of photography. It is simply the oldest surviving photographic image.

The View from the Window was made by Nicéphore Niépce in July 1827. Soon after, he offered the work to botanist Franz Bauer during a stay in England. After Bauer’s death, the plate changed hands: it was auctioned at Christie’s and acquired by Robert Brown, curator at the British Museum.

“Point de vue du Gras”, first photograph by Nicéphore Niépce

Upon Brown’s death in 1858, his assistant J.J. Bennet inherited the plate. It remained in the Bennett family until 1884, when it was again sold at auction. It was then purchased by H. Baden-Pritchard, editor of Photographic News, who died two weeks later. His widow kept it until her death in 1917.

During World War I, their son, granted three days’ leave to arrange his mother’s funeral, packed her belongings into a trunk stored in a London warehouse before returning to the front.

It was not until 1950 that photographic historian Helmut Gernsheim traced this Pritchard son. He claimed the plate had never been returned after being loaned for an exhibition. Upon his death in 1951, his wife discovered in his papers a receipt dated 1917 confirming the deposit of the trunk. Inside, intact, was Niépce’s photograph. In February 1952, Gernsheim received the image as a donation. Twelve years later, in 1964, he sold his photographic collection to the University of Texas, where View from the Window has since been preserved, at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin.

Daguerre Acknowledges Niépce’s Authorship

A crucial letter, written by Daguerre to Isidore Niépce after his father’s death, dated July 12, 1833, seals the recognition of Niépce’s invention and confirms that Daguerre was not its original author. This letter definitively settles the debate over who truly invented photography.

“My dear friend Isidore,
I am deeply grieved by the unfortunate event that has befallen you. I loved good Mr. Niépce as much as if he had been my father. This blow is terrible for me as well. Yes, it is with tearful eyes that I write to you; I need not describe the sorrow I feel. Your affection for your parents easily shows how much this loss must affect me. It robs me of all courage at this moment, yet we must instead redouble our efforts, thinking that we shall immortalize his name by publishing his discovery.
He would have been so happy to see it brought to light!
Thank you for the sentiments you express to me; it is a consolation to find in the son the friend I have lost.
Farewell, my dear friend, please express to your mother how deeply I am affected; I have sometimes told her that I considered myself as family; I feel today, through the grief I experience, that I spoke the truth.
Please also present my respects to your wife and to Mr. and Mrs. Champmartin.
Your devoted friend for life,
Daguerre”

The letter of July 12, 1833, from Daguerre to Isidore Niépce can be found in the online volume Niépce, Correspondance et Papiers (p. 1032)

An Exceptional Exhibition for the 200th Anniversary of Photography

On the occasion of the bicentenary of the invention of photography, the Nicéphore Niépce House and the Spéos photography school (which has managed the Niépce House since 1999) organized a major exclusive exhibition to commemorate this landmark event.

The opening took place on September 16, 2024 — precisely the 200th anniversary, to the day.

This exhibition retraced the fascinating history of photography and the efforts of visionary inventor Nicéphore Niépce, who fixed the first permanent image in 1824. It was held in Paris, at Quai de la Photo, from September 16 to December 20, 2024.

Press Coverage of the Bicentenary Celebrated by the Nicéphore Niépce House

AFP

TV

TF1:

TV5 Monde, 200 Years Ago, Photography Was Born in France
https://information.tv5monde.com/culture/video/il-y-200-ans-la-photographie-voyait-le-jour-en-france-2739941

Video also featured on Boursorama: https://www.boursorama.com/videos/actualites/dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-pere-de-la-photographie-il-y-a-200-ans-b5953fc0ffdc756906045fe091b9e7e4

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

Ici Bourgogne – “Welcome to the House of Nicéphore Niépce in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes”, Monday, May 19, 2025 – Live broadcast. Listen to the podcast here (starting at 18:18): https://www.francebleu.fr/emissions/bienvenue-chez-vous-ici-bourgogne/bienvenue-dans-la-maison-de-nicephore-niepce-a-saint-loup-de-varennes-6725520

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

Acknowledgements to the partners who contributed to the bicentenary celebrations:

Visit the Nicéphore Niépce House

In 2024, photography celebrated its 200th anniversary.