The original plate (left) and colorized reoriented enhancement (right). The photo was found to be taken at his home from a second-story south-facing bedroom window.[1]
Demonstration of camera obscura. The original image gets rotated and reversed through a small hole onto an opposite surface.
Niépce captured the scene with a camera obscura projected onto a 16.2 cm × 20.2 cm (6.4 in × 8.0 in) pewter plate thinly coated with bitumen of Judea, a naturally occurring asphalt.[9] The bitumen hardened in the brightly lit areas, but in the dimly lit areas it remained soluble and could be washed away with a mixture of oil of lavender and white petroleum.[9]
A very long exposure in the camera was required. Sunlight strikes the buildings on opposite sides, suggesting an exposure that lasted about eight hours, which has become the traditional estimate. A researcher who studied Niépce's notes and recreated his processes found that the exposure must have continued for several days.[10]
Early historyedit
In late 1826, Niépce visited the United Kingdom. He showed this and several other specimens of his work to botanical illustrator Francis Bauer. View from the Window at Le Gras was the only example of a camera photograph; the rest were contact-exposed copies of artwork. Bauer encouraged him to present his "heliography" process to the Royal Society. Niépce wrote and submitted a paper but was unwilling to reveal any specific details in it, so the Royal Society rejected it based on a rule that prohibited presentations about undisclosed secret processes. Before returning to France, Niépce gave his paper and the specimens to Bauer. Niépce died suddenly in 1833, due to a stroke.
After the pioneering photographic processes of Louis Daguerre and Henry Fox Talbot were publicly announced in January 1839, Bauer championed Niépce's right to be acknowledged as the first inventor of a process for making permanent photographs. On March 9, 1839, the specimens were finally exhibited at the Royal Society.[11] After Bauer's death in 1840 they passed through several hands and were occasionally exhibited as historical curiosities. View from the Window at Le Gras was last publicly shown in 1905 and then fell into obscurity for nearly fifty years.[12]
Re-emergenceedit
Gernsheim's enhanced versionThe original plate on display at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas, in 2004
Historians Helmut Gernsheim and his wife, Alison Gernsheim, tracked down the photograph in 1952 and brought it to prominence, reinforcing the claim that Niépce is the inventor of photography. They had an expert at the Kodak Research Laboratory make a modern photographic copy, but it proved extremely difficult to produce an adequate representation of all that could be seen when inspecting the actual plate.
Helmut Gernsheim heavily retouched one of the copy prints to clean it up and make the scene more comprehensible, and until the late 1970s he allowed only that enhanced version to be published. It became apparent that at some point in time after the copying in 1952, the plate was disfigured and acquired bumps near three of its corners, which caused light to reflect in ways that interfered with the visibility of those areas and of the image as a whole.
During the 1950s and early 1960s, the Gernsheims toured the photograph to several exhibitions in continental Europe.[13] In 1963, Harry Ransom purchased most of the Gernsheims' photography collection for the University of Texas at Austin. Although it has rarely traveled since then, in 2012–2013 it visited Mannheim, Germany, as part of an exhibition entitled The Birth of Photography—Highlights of the Helmut Gernsheim Collection. It is normally on display in the main lobby of the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas.[9]
Scientific analysis and conservationedit
During a study and conservation project in 2002–2003, scientists at the Getty Conservation Institute examined the photograph using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and other techniques.[14] They confirmed that the image consists of bitumen and that the metal plate is pewter (tin alloyed with lead, as well as trace amounts of iron, copper, and nickel).[15] The institute also designed and built the elaborate display case system that now houses the artifact in a continuously monitored, stabilized, oxygen-free environment.[16]
In 2007, scientists from the Louvre Museum published an analysis of the photograph using ion beam analysis,[17] with data taken on their 2 MV electrostatic accelerator.[18] This showed the details of the oxidation process that was corroding the image.
^"le point de vue du Gras de Nicéphore Niépce". www.niepce-daguerre.com. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
^"First photograph, View from the Window at Le Gras, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, ca. 1826". University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
^Kaja Silverman, « The Miracle of Analogy : Or The History of Photography », vol. 1, Stanford University Press, 2015 (ISBN 978-0-8047-9327-8 et 978-0-8047-9399-5), p. 60–65.
^Pierre-Georges Harmant et Paul Marillier, « Some Thoughts on the World's First Photograph », The Photographic Journal (en), vol. 107, no 4, avril 1967, p. 130–140, trad. « À propos de la plus ancienne photographie du monde », Photo-Ciné-Revue, mai 1972, p. 231–237.
^Helmut Gernsheim, « The 150th Anniversary of Photography », « History of Photography », vol. 1, no 1, janvier 1977, p. 3–8 (DOI 10.1080/03087298.1977.10442876
^1826 is also mentioned p.14, in the chapter written by Paul-Louis Roubert and François Brunet on the specialized reference book « L'art De La Photographie - Des Origines À Nos Jours », directed by André Gunthert and Michel Poivert, published by Citadelles et Mazenod publisher, ISBN 9782850886805
^French: « La première photographie au monde », Études photographiques, no 3 « Frontières de l'image / Le territoire et le document », November 1997, where it is mentioned “(fig. 1. Nicéphore Niépce, "Point de vue du Gras", 1826, héliographie sur étain, 16,6 x 20,2 cm, encadrée). [p. 12]”
^Some Thoughts on the World's First Photograph ", The Photographic Journal, vol. 107 (4), avril 1967, p. 130-140 ; cf. H. Gernsheim, The origins of Photography, Londres, New York, Thames and Hudson, 1982, p. 34. : in 1982, Gernsheim goes back on his dating, and validate the date of 1826, proposed by P.-G. Harmant et P. Marillier in 1967.
^Lowry, Bates and Lowry, Isabel Barrett (1998). The Silver Canvas: Daguerreotype Masterpieces from the J. Paul Getty Museum. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. p. 213, note 51.
^The Harry Ransom Center: The First Photograph: History. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
^"The Harry Ransom Center: The First Photograph: Exhibition history". Harry Ransom Center. Utexas. from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
^Analyzing the world's first photograph. Precious image studied at Getty Institute in Los Angeles. June 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine National Public Radio, April 7, 2002. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
^Brown, Barbara N. (November 2002). . Abbey Newsletter. Vol. 26, no. 3. Archived from the original on 2019-08-03. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
^Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin. The first photograph: conservation and preservation. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
^Pascual-Izarra, Carlos; Barradas, Nuno P.; Reis, Miguel A.; Jeynes, Chris; Menu, Michel; Lavedrine, Bertrand; Ezrati, Jean Jacques; Röhrs, Stefan (2007-08-31). "Towards truly simultaneous PIXE and RBS analysis of layered objects in cultural heritage". Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms. 261 (1–2): 426–429. arXiv:0707.2448. Bibcode:2007NIMPB.261..426P. doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2007.04.259. S2CID 97715369.
^. February 23, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23.
^"100 Photographs that Changed the World". The Digital Journalist. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
^"A New Look at the First Photograph". Art on Paper. 7 (1): 24. 2002. ISSN 1521-7922. JSTOR 24559087.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to View from the Window at Le Gras.
view, from, window, gras, french, point, gras, heliographic, image, oldest, surviving, camera, photograph, created, french, inventor, nicéphore, niépce, 1826, saint, loup, varennes, france, shows, parts, buildings, surrounding, countryside, estate, gras, seen,. View from the Window at Le Gras 2 French Point de vue du Gras is a heliographic image and the oldest surviving camera photograph It was created by French inventor Nicephore Niepce in 1826 3 4 5 6 7 8 in Saint Loup de Varennes France and shows parts of the buildings and surrounding countryside of his estate Le Gras fr as seen from a high window The original plate left and colorized reoriented enhancement right The photo was found to be taken at his home from a second story south facing bedroom window 1 Contents 1 Creation 2 Early history 3 Re emergence 4 Scientific analysis and conservation 5 Importance 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksCreation edit nbsp Demonstration of camera obscura The original image gets rotated and reversed through a small hole onto an opposite surface Niepce captured the scene with a camera obscura projected onto a 16 2 cm 20 2 cm 6 4 in 8 0 in pewter plate thinly coated with bitumen of Judea a naturally occurring asphalt 9 The bitumen hardened in the brightly lit areas but in the dimly lit areas it remained soluble and could be washed away with a mixture of oil of lavender and white petroleum 9 A very long exposure in the camera was required Sunlight strikes the buildings on opposite sides suggesting an exposure that lasted about eight hours which has become the traditional estimate A researcher who studied Niepce s notes and recreated his processes found that the exposure must have continued for several days 10 Early history editIn late 1826 Niepce visited the United Kingdom He showed this and several other specimens of his work to botanical illustrator Francis Bauer View from the Window at Le Gras was the only example of a camera photograph the rest were contact exposed copies of artwork Bauer encouraged him to present his heliography process to the Royal Society Niepce wrote and submitted a paper but was unwilling to reveal any specific details in it so the Royal Society rejected it based on a rule that prohibited presentations about undisclosed secret processes Before returning to France Niepce gave his paper and the specimens to Bauer Niepce died suddenly in 1833 due to a stroke After the pioneering photographic processes of Louis Daguerre and Henry Fox Talbot were publicly announced in January 1839 Bauer championed Niepce s right to be acknowledged as the first inventor of a process for making permanent photographs On March 9 1839 the specimens were finally exhibited at the Royal Society 11 After Bauer s death in 1840 they passed through several hands and were occasionally exhibited as historical curiosities View from the Window at Le Gras was last publicly shown in 1905 and then fell into obscurity for nearly fifty years 12 Re emergence edit nbsp Gernsheim s enhanced version nbsp The original plate on display at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin Texas in 2004Historians Helmut Gernsheim and his wife Alison Gernsheim tracked down the photograph in 1952 and brought it to prominence reinforcing the claim that Niepce is the inventor of photography They had an expert at the Kodak Research Laboratory make a modern photographic copy but it proved extremely difficult to produce an adequate representation of all that could be seen when inspecting the actual plate Helmut Gernsheim heavily retouched one of the copy prints to clean it up and make the scene more comprehensible and until the late 1970s he allowed only that enhanced version to be published It became apparent that at some point in time after the copying in 1952 the plate was disfigured and acquired bumps near three of its corners which caused light to reflect in ways that interfered with the visibility of those areas and of the image as a whole During the 1950s and early 1960s the Gernsheims toured the photograph to several exhibitions in continental Europe 13 In 1963 Harry Ransom purchased most of the Gernsheims photography collection for the University of Texas at Austin Although it has rarely traveled since then in 2012 2013 it visited Mannheim Germany as part of an exhibition entitled The Birth of Photography Highlights of the Helmut Gernsheim Collection It is normally on display in the main lobby of the Harry Ransom Center in Austin Texas 9 Scientific analysis and conservation editDuring a study and conservation project in 2002 2003 scientists at the Getty Conservation Institute examined the photograph using X ray fluorescence spectroscopy reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and other techniques 14 They confirmed that the image consists of bitumen and that the metal plate is pewter tin alloyed with lead as well as trace amounts of iron copper and nickel 15 The institute also designed and built the elaborate display case system that now houses the artifact in a continuously monitored stabilized oxygen free environment 16 In 2007 scientists from the Louvre Museum published an analysis of the photograph using ion beam analysis 17 with data taken on their 2 MV electrostatic accelerator 18 This showed the details of the oxidation process that was corroding the image Importance editIn 2003 Life listed View from the Window at Le Gras among 100 Photographs that Changed the World 19 In an article for Art on Paper View from the Window at Le Gras was said to have a fair claim as the first photograph 20 See also editHistory of photography List of photographs considered the most importantReferences edit le point de vue du Gras de Nicephore Niepce www niepce daguerre com Retrieved 2020 04 04 First photograph View from the Window at Le Gras Joseph Nicephore Niepce ca 1826 University of Texas at Austin Retrieved May 20 2017 Kaja Silverman The Miracle of Analogy Or The History of Photography vol 1 Stanford University Press 2015 ISBN 978 0 8047 9327 8 et 978 0 8047 9399 5 p 60 65 Pierre Georges Harmant et Paul Marillier Some Thoughts on the World s First Photograph The Photographic Journal en vol 107 no 4 avril 1967 p 130 140 trad A propos de la plus ancienne photographie du monde Photo Cine Revue mai 1972 p 231 237 Helmut Gernsheim The 150th Anniversary of Photography History of Photography vol 1 no 1 janvier 1977 p 3 8 DOI 10 1080 03087298 1977 10442876 1826 is also mentioned p 14 in the chapter written by Paul Louis Roubert and Francois Brunet on the specialized reference book L art De La Photographie Des Origines A Nos Jours directed by Andre Gunthert and Michel Poivert published by Citadelles et Mazenod publisher ISBN 9782850886805 French La premiere photographie au monde Etudes photographiques no 3 Frontieres de l image Le territoire et le document November 1997 where it is mentioned fig 1 Nicephore Niepce Point de vue du Gras 1826 heliographie sur etain 16 6 x 20 2 cm encadree p 12 Some Thoughts on the World s First Photograph The Photographic Journal vol 107 4 avril 1967 p 130 140 cf H Gernsheim The origins of Photography Londres New York Thames and Hudson 1982 p 34 in 1982 Gernsheim goes back on his dating and validate the date of 1826 proposed by P G Harmant et P Marillier in 1967 a b c The First Photograph Harry Ransom Center Utexas Archived from the original on 18 January 2012 Retrieved 14 January 2012 Niepce and the Invention of Photography Nicephore Niepce House Photo Museum Academie des sciences amp de l Academie des beaux arts French Ministry of Culture Retrieved 5 May 2016 Lowry Bates and Lowry Isabel Barrett 1998 The Silver Canvas Daguerreotype Masterpieces from the J Paul Getty Museum The J Paul Getty Museum Los Angeles p 213 note 51 The Harry Ransom Center The First Photograph History Retrieved 27 May 2013 The Harry Ransom Center The First Photograph Exhibition history Harry Ransom Center Utexas Archived from the original on 21 February 2015 Retrieved 6 March 2015 Analyzing the world s first photograph Precious image studied at Getty Institute in Los Angeles Archived June 15 2012 at the Wayback Machine National Public Radio April 7 2002 Retrieved August 26 2008 Brown Barbara N November 2002 GCI HRC Research World s First Photograph Abbey Newsletter Vol 26 no 3 Archived from the original on 2019 08 03 Retrieved 15 March 2015 Harry Ransom Center The University of Texas at Austin The first photograph conservation and preservation Retrieved August 26 2008 Pascual Izarra Carlos Barradas Nuno P Reis Miguel A Jeynes Chris Menu Michel Lavedrine Bertrand Ezrati Jean Jacques Rohrs Stefan 2007 08 31 Towards truly simultaneous PIXE and RBS analysis of layered objects in cultural heritage Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 261 1 2 426 429 arXiv 0707 2448 Bibcode 2007NIMPB 261 426P doi 10 1016 j nimb 2007 04 259 S2CID 97715369 Art et Science AGLAE un accelerateur de particules au Louvre par Guillaume Achard Vincent February 23 2014 Archived from the original on 2014 02 23 100 Photographs that Changed the World The Digital Journalist Retrieved 2012 01 14 A New Look at the First Photograph Art on Paper 7 1 24 2002 ISSN 1521 7922 JSTOR 24559087 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to View from the Window at Le Gras The Niepce Heliograph at the Harry Ransom Center 46 43 37 N 4 51 26 E 46 72694 N 4 85722 E 46 72694 4 85722 Introducing The Niepce Heliograph Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title View from the Window at Le Gras amp oldid 1182981143, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
