The 'First' Photos Ever Taken Are Throwing Us For A Serious Loop
Before photography was simply a way of showing off our waffles to hundreds of Instagram followers, it was a mode of communication. It was one of the most astounding technological advances of its time, and this technology continues to shed light on the way people live. But no matter how high-definition the photographs (and selfies!) of today might get, we can’t forget the first few snapshots that started it all.
The first photographs show a world none of us ever expected. They capture a moment of time we otherwise wouldn't have seen. They look rudimentary nowadays, but back then, they were nothing short of revolutionary....
1. Believe it or not, this is the view taken from the upstairs window of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce’s apartment in France, 1826. Considered to be the first camera-made photo ever taken, Niépce used a process called “heliography” to “develop” the photo you see here!
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2. We may have Robert Cornelius to thank for selfies. He looks a little ghostly in the photo on the left, but as this is the world’s first camera-made self portrait, we'll cut him some slack. He captured the photo back in 1839 in Philadelphia...and the trend began.
3. The first photo of the moon looks like it was taken underwater, but that just goes to show how important it is to carefully preserve early photography. This 1840 photograph taken by John W. Draper shows a beautiful crescent moon in the night sky.
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4. The first photograph of anything earth-bound is impressive, but of space? The 35mm motion picture camera was attached to a rocket launched in October of 1946, and it started snapping photos at an altitude of 65 miles. Imagine seeing those photos for the first time!
