Joseph Niepce Research Paper

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According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, photography is defined as, “the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially light on a sensitive surface (such as film or an optical sensor).” However, many question the validity of this statement around 190 years ago due to drastic technological differences. Personally, I see photography as a feeling rather than something easily defined. Despite the modern support affiliated with my claims, the original inventor of transferring photos to paper, Joseph Niépce, would have had an opposing view. For centuries, photography has maintained an influential stance as a universal symbol of art and inspiration; the history, origin, and personal appeal associated with …show more content…

In 1793 Joseph Niepce and his brother Claude discrussed the possibility of using light to reproduce images. In 1822, Niepce made the first successful Heliograph from an engraving of Pope Pius VII, this piece was later destroyed during an attempt to recreate the image. However “in 1826, he copied an engraving of the Cardinal Georges d'Amboise in which Niepce invented the first successful form of photomechanical reproduction” (UTexas, 2). Previous to the findings of Joseph Niépce came Alhazen (Ibn Al-Haytham), who historians speculated to be alive during the middle ages. “Alhazen invented the first pinhole camera (also known as a Obscura) which put images upside down” (Thoughtco.com). His intelligence allowed him to figure out the different functions of light to create such a device. Which later inspired the Niepce brothers to create their invention. Niepce began experimenting with lithographic printmaking which led to his Heliograph creation. A Heliograph is “an early type of photoengraving made on a metal plate coated with sensitized asphalt” (Dictionary.com). This helped him create the famous first photo known as “the View from the Window at Le

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