Timeline of Photographic History

1725 -1727	-----------------------------------------------Johann Heinrich Schulze was the first known person to record experiments on the actions of the sun darkening chemicals. He was successful in determining it was the light not the heat that produced the results. -----------------------------------------------
1802 -	----------------------------------------------- Thomas Wedgwood produced silhouettes by using silver nitrate. These were very light sensitive and faded in a very short time. -----------------------------------------------
1806 -	----------------------------------------------- Dr. William Wollaston invented a device for artists which he called the Camera Lucida. This reflected the image onto a paper right side up so an artist could trace it. -----------------------------------------------
1816 -	----------------------------------------------- Joseph Nicephore Niépce first attempted to create a photograph using sensitized paper but it would be over ten years before he would succeed at keeping an image from fading quickly. -----------------------------------------------
1819 -	----------------------------------------------- Sir John Frederick William Herschel discovered that hyposulphite of soda could dissolve silver salts. 20 years later his discovery would be used as a photographic fixative. -----------------------------------------------
1826-1827	----------------------------------------------- Joseph Nicephore Niépce took a photograph of roof tops outside of his attic window. This is the first universally credited permanent photograph still in existence. -----------------------------------------------
1829 -	----------------------------------------------- Joseph Nicephore Niépce formed a partnership with Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre. Joseph Nicephore Niépce died in 1833. -----------------------------------------------
1834 -	----------------------------------------------- The earliest known paper negative was produced by Henry Fox Talbot. He announced his process of using paper for photographs. -----------------------------------------------
1837 -	----------------------------------------------- Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre created the first Daguerreotype photograph.
1839 -	Daguerreotype photographic process was patented by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre. These images were produced on a silver coated copper plate. ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Henry Fox Talbot announced his new photographic process called the Photogenic Drawing, which was different from Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre's. Hippolyte Bayard held the first exhibit of photographs although he did not publish his process of using sensitized paper until 1841. Sir John Frederick William Herschel was the first to make the term photograph popular. -----------------------------------------------
1841 -	----------------------------------------------- Henry Fox Talbot patented his new photographic process the Calotype, where the photograph was developed onto paper. The results were not as detailed as a Daguerreotype but an unlimited number of copies could be made. -----------------------------------------------
1843 -	----------------------------------------------- The first photographically illustrated book titled "British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions" was published. The author was a woman named Anna Atkins. She used photograms for her illustrations. -----------------------------------------------
1844 -	----------------------------------------------- Henry Fox Talbot produced a book titled "The Pencil of Nature". This was the first book to use real photographs. -----------------------------------------------
1848 -	----------------------------------------------- Abel Niépce discovered a way to make negatives on glass by using egg whites, salt, potassium iodide, and gallic acid. -----------------------------------------------
1849 -	----------------------------------------------- Sir David Brewster invented a Stereoscope which was used to view stereoscopic photographs. Two photographs were taken at the same time, side by side each representing what each human eye would see. This created a 3D effect. -----------------------------------------------
1950 -	----------------------------------------------- Louis Désiré Blanquard-Evard announced an improved process using albumen printing paper. -----------------------------------------------
1851 -	----------------------------------------------- Frederick Scott Archer discovered the Collodion process (wet plate) which only took seconds for exposure. These used glass plates for the negatives but were developed onto paper. They were as detailed as the glass Daguerreotype and could be reproduced like the Calotype. This process was not patented so it was used by many photographers.
1854 -	The Ambrotype process was patented by Frederick Scott Archer and his partner Peter Fry. ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Carte-de-visite photographs were patented by Andre Adolphe Eugene Disdéri. These small 4 1/2 inch x 2 1/2 photographs became well known after Napoleon III had his photograph taken using this process five years later. -----------------------------------------------
1855 -	----------------------------------------------- The tintype photograph was patented by Hamilton Smith. These photographs were less expensive to create then any proceeding photography method. Making tintype photographs was our first look at casual photographs. -----------------------------------------------
1861 -	----------------------------------------------- Sir James Clerk Maxwell demonstrated a method of mixing three primary colors to create the first steps to color photographs. -----------------------------------------------
1864 -	----------------------------------------------- Joseph Wilson Swan is known for creating the carbon process, a way to make prints permanent. Carbon prints included the use of a color so they could be made almost any tone. -----------------------------------------------
1866 -	----------------------------------------------- Walter Woodbury patented the Woodburytype process of photograph printing. -----------------------------------------------
1871-	----------------------------------------------- Richard Leach Maddox announced the dry plate process of using gelatin. This process greatly reduced the needed exposure time and the dry plate process became a standard. -----------------------------------------------
1873 -	----------------------------------------------- Herman Wilhelm Vogel discovers a method of making plates sensitive to dyes. A step closer to color photographs. -----------------------------------------------
1878 -	----------------------------------------------- The photographer Eadweard Muybridge was hired to settle a bet. Do all four feet of a horse leave the ground simultaneously when it is in a gallop? With the use of multiple cameras along a race track he proved that it was true. This also was the first step into motion photography. -----------------------------------------------
1884 -	----------------------------------------------- The Stebbing Automatic Camera was the first to use a roll of flexible film. -----------------------------------------------
1888-	----------------------------------------------- The KODAK camera was made available to the public. It was a small box camera which held a roll of film. 100 snap shots could be taken then the camera was sent to Eastman Dry Plate and Film Co. so the film could be removed and developed. The first two models of Kodak cameras took round photographs. One year later the Kodak No.2 was introduced. This improved model was the first to use transparent celluloid film. -----------------------------------------------
1891 -	----------------------------------------------- Eastman Kodak develops a roll of film which can be loaded or unloaded from a camera without having to be in a darkroom. -----------------------------------------------
1892 -	----------------------------------------------- A full color photograph system was developed by Ives Kromskop. This system never became a popular success. -----------------------------------------------
1900 -	----------------------------------------------- The Eastman Kodak Brownie pocket camera was made available. Now everyday people could take their own photographs. The Brownie sold for $1.00. -----------------------------------------------
1907 -	----------------------------------------------- The Autochrome plate was the first color photograph process to become successful. It was introduced by the Lumière brothers. E.J. Wall announces the Bromoil print process. The earlier gum bichromate process was eventually replaced by this. -----------------------------------------------
1908 -	----------------------------------------------- Kinemacolor is announced by George Albert Smith and Charles Urban. This is the first color photographic process to become commercially successful on a large scale. -----------------------------------------------
1914 -	----------------------------------------------- The 35 mm camera and film standard was introduced. Kodak introduces the No. 1 Autographic Kodak Jr. camera. -----------------------------------------------
1920 -	----------------------------------------------- "The Cottingley Fairies". Two girls in England staged photographs with cutout images of fairies in the flora. They claimed they had been visited by fairies. Their photographs fooled many people. It was just not believed children could be so artful with photography. -----------------------------------------------
1921 -	----------------------------------------------- Telephoto transmission is made between Annapolis, Md., and Belin's laboratories at La Malmaison, Fr. This was the first transatlantic transmission of photographs. -----------------------------------------------
1922 -	----------------------------------------------- The camera flashbulb was introduced by General Electric. -----------------------------------------------
1935 -	----------------------------------------------- Kodak markets Kodachrome film, a low-cost color film. -----------------------------------------------
1941 -	----------------------------------------------- Kodak markets KODACOLOR, the first commercial film to have color negatives. -----------------------------------------------
1946 -	----------------------------------------------- Kodak markets Ektachrome. This is the first color film photographers can develop at home. -----------------------------------------------
1948 -	----------------------------------------------- Nikon introduces their first 35mm camera. The first instant camera is marketed by Polaroid. The Polaroid Camera used a one step developing process that took less than a minute. -----------------------------------------------
1950 -	----------------------------------------------- Kodak markets Eastmancolor film, a new process that improved color photographs. -----------------------------------------------
1963 -	----------------------------------------------- Polaroid markets their full color instant camera. The Kodak Instamatic is made available. This used the 126 cartridge film for easy film loading. Over 70 million were sold during the next decade. -----------------------------------------------
1984 -	----------------------------------------------- The first electronic camera was made by Canon. -----------------------------------------------
1986 -	----------------------------------------------- The first professional auto focus camera is introduced by Minolta. -----------------------------------------------
1987 -	----------------------------------------------- Disposable cameras were introduced. The film comes already in the camera. When all the pictures are taken the camera is taken in to be developed. The film is developed and the camera is discarded. -----------------------------------------------
1988 -	----------------------------------------------- Digital cameras are made available. -----------------------------------------------
1991 -	----------------------------------------------- Photo CDs are made available by Kodak. -----------------------------------------------
1993 -	----------------------------------------------- PhotoShop is released by Adobe. A high standard in photo imaging software. -----------------------------------------------
1996 -	----------------------------------------------- Advantix, a new type of still camera and film, was introduced. -----------------------------------------------
1998 -	----------------------------------------------- Polaroid introduces their "Polaroid instant PopShots one -time use camera". Like the disposable, the camera comes with film installed. After taking the 10 instant photos the camera can be mailed back to Polaroid for a rebate. -----------------------------------------------