1826–2026: Two Centuries of Photography, from Niépce's Heliograph to Women Pioneers
In 2026, the photography community will mark 200 years since its inception, which began on 19 August 1839 with the introduction of the daguerreotype in Paris. The earliest enduring photograph, 'Vue de la fenêtre à Gras,' was produced by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826. Niépce worked alongside Louis-Jacques Daguerre, who refined the technique and transferred the patent to the French government. Daguerre's work, 'Boulevard du Temple, Paris' (1838), showcased city life. Meanwhile, William Henry Talbot was advancing calotypy and released 'The Pencil of Nature' in 1844. The term 'photography' was introduced by Sir Charles Wheatstone and John Herschel. The piece also highlights the contributions of women photographers and the influence of the 1865 Pisanelli Code on Italian women's photography. This article appeared on artslife.com on 18 August 2026.
Key facts
- Photography's official birth is dated 19 August 1839, with the daguerreotype presented in Paris.
- Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first permanent photograph, 'View from the Window at Gras', in 1826 in Burgundy.
- Louis-Jacques Daguerre's 'Boulevard du Temple' (1838) captured a Paris street scene.
- William Henry Talbot invented the calotype and published 'The Pencil of Nature' (1844).
- Enrico Federico Jest took Italy's first photograph in Turin on 8 October 1839.
- George Eastman founded Kodak on 4 September 1880, producing the first portable camera.
- Women photographers pioneered the medium, including Julia Margaret Cameron, Anna Atkins, Lee Miller, and Gerda Taro.
- The article appeared on artslife.com on 18 August 2026, marking the bicentenary.
Entities
Artists
- Louis-Jacques Daguerre
- Joseph Nicéphore Niépce
- François Arago
- William Henry Talbot
- Constance Fox Talbot
- John Herschel
- Charles Wheatstone
- Enrico Federico Jest
- Alessandro Jest
- Antonio Rasetti
- Frederick Scott Archer
- George Eastman
- Clarence Bloomfield Moore
- Chiara Samugheo
- Tina Modotti
- Letizia Battaglia
- Jessie Tarbox Beals
- Brassaï
- Cecilia Mangini
- Lisetta Carmi
- Elsa Haertter
- Eve Arnold
- Margaret Bourke-White
- Lee Miller
- Man Ray
- Inge Morath
- Ming Smith
- Marta Maria Perez Bravo
- Tuija Lindstrom
- Dorothea Lange
- Gerda Taro
- Robert Capa
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Anna Atkins
- Isabel Agnes Thomson
- Marie Lydie Cabanis Bonfils
- Julia Margaret Cameron
- Josephine Dubray
- Giovanna Calvenzi
- Grazia Neri
- Virginia Oldoini
- Pierre Louis Pierson
- Loredana da Porto Barban
- Alfred Stieglitz
- Helene d'Orleans
- Anna Müller
- Luigia Maria Carolina Dossi
- Maria Zago
- Leonilda Prato
- Adelaide Anceschi
- Roger Fenton
- Olive Edis
- Elise Knocker
- Mairi Chisholm
- Harriet Chalmers Adams
- Imogen Cunningham
- Sonia Noskowiak
- Ansel Adams
- Consuelo Kanaga
- Alma Lavenson
- Hannah Höch
- Yva (Else Neulaender Simon)
- Ilse Bing
- Dora Maar
- Marie Al. Khazen
- Guido Crepax
- Louise Brooks
- Luisa Mandelli
- Gabriele D'Autilia
- Piero Portaluppi
Institutions
- Académie des Sciences et des Arts
- Susse Frères
- Royal Society of London
- Kodak
- Cosmopolitan
- Guggenheim Museum
- Magnum Photos
- MoMA
- Imperial War Museum
- National Geographic
- Harper's
- Royal Photographic Academy
- Alinari brothers
- Samsung
- Croce Rossa
- Aperture Foundation
- Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli
- Accademia di Brera
- Gruppo F/64
- Life
- Vogue
- International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Gras
- Burgundy
- Turin
- Italy
- London
- Como
- Italy (Milan)
- Rochester
- New York
- United States
- St. Louis
- Missouri
- Rome
- Genoa
- Beirut
- Lebanon
- Berlin
- Germany
- Göteborg
- Sweden
- Naples
- Florence
- Brussels
- Belgium
- San Francisco
- California
- Dresden
- Stuttgart
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Varese
- Biella
- Sanremo
Sources
- Artslife —