Niepce

Nicéphore Niépce was a French inventor and photography pioneer. He is best known for creating the world's first successful photograph, a heliograph titled "View from the Window at Le Gras." This groundbreaking image was produced around 1826 or 1827 using a technique he developed. Niépce's process involved coating a pewter plate with bitumen of Judea, which hardened when exposed to light. The areas not exposed to light could then be washed away, leaving a permanent image.

Born in 1765 in Chalon-sur-Saône, France, Niépce was also involved in other inventions, including a process for creating lithographs and a form of internal combustion engine. His early experiments with photography were driven by a desire to automate the printing of images. He collaborated with Louis Daguerre for several years, a partnership that eventually led to the development of the daguerreotype after Niépce's death. While Daguerre's process became more widely known and used, Niépce's foundational work in capturing images permanently is recognized as the true beginning of photography. He died in 1833, leaving behind a legacy that fundamentally changed how humans record and share visual information.