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Publication of Thomas Wedgwood and Humphry Davy's Experiments
Wedgwood and Davy experimented with different light-sensitive chemicals and materials in attempt to to capture images on paper or glass. -
Louisiana Purchase
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First Steam Locomotive
George Stephenson invents the first steam locomotive. -
The First Photograph
Joseph Niepce produced the first known photograph, "View from the Window at Gras" using his invention of the Direct Positive image. -
1st Public Railroad System
The first public railroad system threw America into the Industrial Revolution. -
Trail of Tears
Forced relocations of 60,000 Native Americans -
Invention of the Revolver
Samuel Colt invented the first Revolver -
Louis Daguerre Creates the Latent Image
Continuing his friend Niepce's research, Daguerre discovers the Latent image. Shortly after he discovered that a solution of table salt in hot water would react with the light-sensitive material and stop the development of the image. -
Announcement of the Daguerreotype
After seeing the Daguerreotype, astronomer and politician Fancois Arago, suggested Daguerre and Isidore Niepce receive pension from the invention by announcing the process of the Daguerreotype to the French. -
The Word Photographic
Through John Herschel and Talbot, the word "Photographic" becomes the general term for the medium. -
Hippolyte Bayard's Direct Positive Image
Bayard, hoping to shine in some of Daguerre's light, produces several photographs using his technique with a Direct Positive Image. Among them was a photo titled, "Self-portrait as a Drowned Man" -
The Cyanotype
John Herschel experimented with vegetable dyes to attempt to add color to his photography. Using vegetable dyes and iron salts, he created a process called the cyanotype. -
The Calotype
William Henry Fox Talbot invented the calotype.Talbot's process used paper coated with silver iodide. -
The Microscope and Telescope
Scientists Leon Foucault and Hippolyte Fizeau produced eighty-six microscopic daguerreotypes and successfully photographed the sun with sunspots. -
Photography to Record History
Very early on people recognized that photography could be used as a means to record history. The first war photographed was the Mexican-American War. It was photographed using the daguerreotype by an unknown photographer. Photos were taken of people in power and historical events. -
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Mexican-American War
The first war photographed. -
California Gold Rush
The discovery of gold in California has people from all across the world flooding into California with hopes to strike it rich. -
Wet Collodion Process
Fredrick Scott Archer invented the wet collodion process. Although this process required much more equipment to be nearby, this process had much shorter exposure time and greater sensitivity. -
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Crimean War
First substantial war photographed. Roger Fenton is the best known photographer for this event. -
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Civil War
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Tintype Keepsakes
Bergstressor brothers popularized tintype photos as keepsakes for the army while they were at war. The brothers followed the army for over a year and took thousands of photos.These photos were cheap and lightweight so they could be carried with the soldiers or the soldiers could send them home to their families. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Freed slaves in the Confederate states -
Pictorialism
Pictorialism became popular in the way that it meshed photography and art techniques. Photographers such as George Davison, Frank Eugene and Robert Demachy, used techniques such as scratching the photographs, brushing chemicals onto photographs or smearing Vaseline onto the lenses to manipulate the images to look more like a painting. -
Kodak Camera Hits the Market
Kodak, invented by George Eastman, introduced rolling film and "snapshot" photography to the world.People could take 100 photos and send the roll to Kodak for development and the pictures were sent back. This also made photography available to those who were not familiar with the chemistry to develop photos. -
Transparent Film
George Eastman applies for his patent for transparent film -
Photo-Secession Movement
Alfred Stieglitz created this movement to move away from pictorialisim and express photography as it's own art without manipulating the print.
