Art Photography
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HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (1765-1833) created the first photograph in 1822. He was a French inventor and research chemist. Whatever images Niépce created the first few years have been lost. As a result, the oldest known photograph in the world dates from 1826 and is featured here. He then joined forces with a man who had invented a better camera, Daguerre.
DAGUERRE
Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (1789-1851) was a skilled painter in search of a new artistic medium. He and Niépce invented the "Daguerreotype," which created positive images that could not be reproduced. Daguerre's first picture dates to 1837, but I prefer this shot from one year later.
BRIEF HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877) was the competition and he succeeded in the creation of photography using negatives, as we do today unless using a digital camera. Talbot was an Englishman well schooled at Cambridge in mathematics and optics. I present his photograph from 1844.
PHOTOGRAPHIC ART
Félix Nadar (1820-1910) was an artist turned photographer from Paris. He was also a journalist, novelist and balloonist. Nadar was the first person to use artificial lighting and the first to take aerial photographs. His greatest fame came from portrait photography, so we will look at his photograph from 1859 of the most famous actress of the 19th Century, Sarah Bernhardt. It is reminiscent of sculpture.
ART PHOTOGRAPHY
Henry Peach Robinson (1830-1901) was the most famous photographer in the 19th Century. He was from England, and tried his hand at painting and bookselling before becoming a photographer. I feature here the 1858 photograph that made him a worldwide sensation at the time.
MATHEW BRADY
Mathew Brady (1823-1896) was an American who is considered the father of photojournalism. His work covering the American Civil War brought home the horrors of combat in a new, and to some, shocking way. Brady photographed 18 Presidents of The United States, including photos of President Lincoln used on the Five-Dollar Bill and Lincoln Penny. This photograph is from 1865.
FAMOUS AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER
Timothy O'Sullivan (1841-1882) was an American who mastered landscape photography. He had previously worked for Mathew Brady and shot outstanding photographs of the civil war. O'Sullivan became the official photographer for the United States Geological Expedition and on that mission took this photograph in 1873.
JACOB RIIS
Jacob Riis (1849-1914) was a police reporter in New York City, where he photographed crime scenes. It was his pictures of slums that were to be his more lasting legacy as they led to changes in housing codes and labor laws. Riis was a pioneer of flash photography, made possible by the invention of gunpowder. He worked as a carpenter, miner, salesman, reporter and newspaper editor before becoming a photographer. This photograph dates to 1889.
STIEGLITZ
Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) is considered the founder of "modern" photographic art in the United States and an important person in the history of American visual arts. Stieglitz studied mechanical engineering and chemistry prior to photography. He later became an important writer and publisher. We will review what he considered his finest work, this photograph from 1907. In it we clearly sense the difference between classes on an ocean liner. Stieglitz established documentary photography as an art form.
FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS WORK
Edward Steichen (1879-1973) was a protégé of Stieglitz. He was an established painter in America before becoming a famous photographer. His photographic portrait of Greta Garbo remains his most well known work, but I am more intrigued with this one from 1924. Later in life he won an Academy Award for documentary film.
FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHER BIOGRAPHIES
Eugène Atget (1856-1927) was a humble French photographer. Picasso was one of his patrons. He is famous as the documentarian of the Paris of his day. Atget was an orphan who became a sailor and then an actor. He is known today as a master of urban historical photographic art.
FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHER
Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) is considered the father of "modern"
photojournalism. He was from Paris and a
photographer since childhood.
Cartier-Bresson also painted. He
was to become a world traveler in the broadest sense, taking photographs around
the globe of some of history's most important events and people. He would only use a Leica 35MM camera and
refused to use flash. This picture was
shot in 1932.
PHOTOGRAPHIC ART
We are out of time for this episode. I will need to follow this up in the future with art photography after 1932. I have previously published Hubs about Rembrandt, Impressionism Art, and American Art.
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Comments
Paraglider— My first visitor! Thank you for stopping in. I am always glad to see you. A person such as yourself who envisions a better world is sorely needed to be sure.
I agree it is surprising what beautiful photographs were taken as far back as Daguerre.
I appreciate your comments and will take a look at Bert Hardy right now.
I love that Bert Hardy pic of the two boys running in the street. I bookmarked it and will use it in my next Hub about Photographic Art. Thanks for that timely tip.
There are lots of Bert Hardy's that are very well known in UK, but probably less so elsewhere, as he never travelled. He was working in Glasgow & London the same time as some of the magnificent 'construction of the Empire State Building' series was being shot in NYC.
Paraglider— Well, I can see his is the work of genius. I will definitely include him when I resume this study a couple weeks from now. He is most deserving and I thank you for telling me about him.
Thank you for this very informative hub James!
As you know, photography is very close to my heart and I really appreciate this beautiful piece. You are truly a historian.
I am familiar with the works of HCB and I love his works especially those that depict people faces and emotions. I also love the geometry of his landscapes. However, I am not familiar with the others so I have to thank you for writing about them.
I have never really studied the history of photography, certainly not this far back. It must have taken an amazing level of skill to produce photographs of such quality with the equipment they had available to them. We are truly spoilt today with our digital cameras that make photography in relative terms so much easier for us than our predecessors.
Really enjoyed this hub, you have found a subject close to my heart and a topic I should have looked at much sooner.
Facinating Hub, James - I know little about photography, so this was a nice journey through history. In this age of megapixels and Photoshop, it goes to show that expensive equipment does not a great photographer make.
Look forward to the next installment.
Some stunning photographs James. Even the soldier in its sad way.
I don't know much about photography, but I enjoyed this. I loved the picture of Gloria Swanson, But you peeked my curiosity with Greta Garbo. Thank you for sharing.
wonderful photos...i have lots of photos of my great grandparents and grandparents ..they are amazing old photos.
These photos are truly beautiful. I am in awe of artistic people. I am quite surprised by the detail and resolution in some of these pre-20th century photos. However the lack of such detail as I refer to haziness as shown in the Lock Katrine photo by Talbot is often emulated by special lenses of modern photography.
Thank you James for this display.
Wonderful photos James, you touched my heart with this hub as photography is my job. I'm very happy that you brought this in light for many to see and admire.
jill of alltrades— You are welcome. I do know that you are an excellent photographer. So I am especially pleased that you enjoyed this piece. Thank you for your kind comments.
BrianS— These were surely men of genius—and patience. One big obstacle was slow speeds of the cameras, which is why for a long time moving things could not be photographed except as a blur. Yes, we have it pretty easy today.
I am glad you liked this Hub. I appreciate your remarks.
Sufidreamer— Thank you! You know me enough by now to know the history is what intrigues me. The difference between photography as a hobby, a craft, or an art is the use of the camera by the photographer. Not the machine itself. These folks were definitely artists, though photography was not accepted as art for quite some time.
I appreciate your warm words and the visitation.
ethel smith— Thank you very much for coming by and leaving your compliment. I always enjoy hearing from you.
ftgfmom— The Garbo is stunning. Perhaps I should have used it also. Most of these photographers have created many wonderful works and that made it difficult to choose just one. But I wanted to keep it short. Thank you and you are welcome.
jesusmyjoy— Thank you. Old family photos are a treasure. I have a few myself. I appreciate you for visiting.
Tom Whitworth— Yes, that effect in the Talbot is emulated by lens filters today. That photo is one of the oldest extant made with a negative.
Thank you for your appreciation of my article. And you are most welcome.
asalvani— You work as a photographer? That must be a wonderful profession. You are blessed. I wish I could do the same. Thank you for your warm words.
I liked the one of Gloria Swanson, too!
advisor4qb— An air of mystery there. Thank you for your comment. I appreciate your encouragement. :D
James this is simply fabulous! I find the whole concept of being able to capture a moment in time via photography fascinating.
Wonderful informative hub!
Blessings
It is amazing how far we've come. What brilliant minds who started the process. Never in their wildest dreams...
Great hub!
DeBorrah K. Ogans— Thank you! It is interesting that for most of human history we could not have a short or long term historical record of events and people, except eye witness accounts or painting/sculpture, which are much more subjective. I love those art forms but photography gives us a new accuracy and immediacy. At least it did before PhotoShop! :)
I appreciate you taking the time to visit and leave word.
R Burow— There has surely been a long record of human brilliance and creativity. Especially when we consider we are just apes with thumbs.
JUST KIDDING!!! :D
This world is amazing. My life has been amazing. I am grateful for my blessings. Thank you for your remarks.
5 Stars for this hub! Another truly eye catching, excellent and informative piece. I esp love Alfred Stieglitz and Ansel Adams, my two favorites. If you haven't seen "The Eloquent Eye" documentary, it is a must see for someone like you. Hat's off Mr Watkins!
James, your creativity just amazes me, your talents are endless, another wonderful read, thank you.
James, you've outdone even yourself--what a great hub! What an informative, interesting, terrifically researched and pictorial hub. I love the Sarah Bernhardt pic. I love them all. Thank you so much, again, for taking the time and effort to compile and share this information.
"BOULEVARD DU TEMPLE" BY DAGUERRE IN 1838, for some reason really speaks to me. I find it very surreal, almost haunting! My favorite of this line up! "SARAH BERNHARDT" BY NADAR IN 1859,is absolutely beautiful. I believe it rivals any works of today! "DEAD CONFEDERATE SOLDIER PETERSBURG VIRGINIA" BY MATHEW BRADY IN 1865 Excellent photojournalism of the time. He really did accomplish a lot with the Presidents. Impressive! "ANASAZI RUINS" BY TIMOTHY O'SULLIVAN IN 1873. Amazing Ruins captured by an obviously amazing photographer.
Another informative, well written, artistic, beautiful Hub! You keep me coming back for more!
IslandVoice— I am so pleased to receive these complimentary comments from you as you are such a fine photographer. I have not seen that documentary but I will put it in my Netflix queue right now. Thanks for the tip and the visitation.
jiberish— Thank you for your gracious words. I am basking in the glow of your accolades right now. :D
Whatever gifts I may have, I didn't earn them. They were given to me and I am grateful. I am glad you enjoyed this piece. It was a joy to put together.
Paradise7— I am trying to produce good work that people enjoy. It pleases me greatly to receive your response. I thank you for the affirmation. :D
Kebennett1— I so appreciate your ongoing encouragement.
It's hard to believe the Daguerre is a photo—it looks painted almost. I had never heard of O'Sullivan until I began this research and for 1873—I found this photo of his to be stunning.
Thank you so much for your compliments.
James! I think this is fantastic. VERY much of an interest to me. ;
I have always been a huge fan of Stieglitz & Bresson. I did see an exhibit at the old Getty Museum on Steichen many years ago and it was one of those "AHHHH" moments where I just wanted to see everything! I am a big fan of B& W pics and have shot some amazing black and white landscapes and pics in Europe......
Looking forward to what you dig up next!!!!! post 1932 ; G
GPAGE— Thank you very much for your laudations.
I think you should do a Hub with your B&W pics and let us all enjoy them. I would be quite interested to see them.
I appreciate the visit and hope all is well in your exotic world. :)
Some of the classic images and processes still get my attention. We seem to lose so much with digital photography that we had before. I miss the old days for sure.
Camping Dan— There is much beauty in these old photos. I still have not switched to digital. I use a Canon EOS but I have some great lenses. Thank you for the visit and the comments.
Great pictures, James.
Vladimir, my friend! Thank you very much for coming.
James,
Great collection of Photos. I was struck by Matthew Brady's step forward into photojournalism. I can only imagine the controversy of bringing the war home with his pictures. Awesome job here.
coffeesnob— Thank you. Brady's work was sensational at the time—and striking even now. There were many who thought it beyond good taste. And many who thought maybe we should know what war is. It reminds me of abortion pictures now, which, by the way, Hub Pages says I cannot show.
Thanks for your comments.
James, You have a real eye for art. The photos you have chosen are amazing. Thanks for creating another informative but interesting and creative hub.
Tigermadstanley— Why, thank you! You are welcome. I do appreciate your encouragement and affirmation.
i hail Henry william Fox Talbot he is my hero the true genius :) i make lumenrpints thanks to him!!
James -
Fantastic subject, superb photo choices, and another beautifully put together hub.
dashdot— I agree with you. He was absolutely a genius. Welcome to Hub Pages. I looked at your photos on your first Hub—great work! Thanks for leaving your comment here and reviewing my article.
Tina Irene— Why, thank you so much. I appreciate you stopping in and saying such nice things. :)
Facts are facts! And you're certainly welcome.
I appreciate reading about photo history. The pictures that go with it are great. It is amazing how much photography has developed. As a photographer, I appreciate the immense effort involved in getting "just the right shot" when there wasn't any post production tools to fix things! I look forward to your next one James.
bayareagreatthing— It is an honor to have a real photographer stop by and praise my humble work. You are right, there were no "redos" in the old days—just like in music, where you couldn't lip synch your songs and bring in recorded tracks to "fill things out." There was a time when live band was really live—all the way.
Thanks for your comments.
Great hub, James, as usual. I have a couple of old daguerreotypes...one of my grandfather when he was with the National Guard stationed in San Antonio many years ago and also one of my mother, her siblings and a cousin when they were kids. Had photos made from the old tin type negatives and due to scratches, etc, they are not the greatest...but still happy to have them.
Very interesting hub about the history of art photography. Thanks!
Peggy W— I am impressed. I don't know anyone who has actual daguerreotypes. I do have some old photos that were passed down to me from maybe 1900, but I don't know how they were made.
Thank you for visiting and for your kind comments. Always a pleasure to see you.
I love this hub, James. You are so wonderful at sharing art. I never realized that photography was so old and am wowed at being able to see the oldest photograph in the world. How cool! I love Stieglitz and Cartier-Bresson as well.
Dolores Monet— Thank you, dear. It is a pleasure to receive this visit from you. I appreciate your kind comments and insights. I'm glad you enjoyed it, too.
Another great hub - very well written and full of great photos! It's a pleasure to read and I learned a lot too!!!! It's going to take me months to read all your hubs!!!
SimeyC— Thank you so much for your interest and kind remarks. I publish 3 a week so . . .
I must admit—I love the photos, too. :D
Thank you for writing such an informative hub! I love photography but didn't know much of the history until now :D
Luciendasky— You are surely welcome. Speaking of welcome: Welcome to the Hub Pages Community!
I am well pleased that you enjoyed this piece. I look forward to reading your work.
really enjoyed your hub
debdav— I'm glad you did. Thank you for coming by and letting me know. Welcome to the Hub Pages Community.
It's so interesting to go back in time, James. I love photography. And the last one is an unexpected surprise.
katyzzz— How nice to hear from you again. It has been a while it seems. Yes, that Cartier-Bresson is intriguing, isn't it? Thank you for checking out my Hub and leaving word that you did. I appreciate it.
I just like to look at the pretty pictures. All except for the dead soldier one.. that one is sad.
kysnoopyq42— That one is sad. It was a groundbreaking photo at the time. Perhaps the first photo ever shot at the point of death. Thank you for coming; all the way from Kentucky! ;0
Paraglider says:
3 months ago
That Daguerrotype is stunning and remarkably well preserved. Cartier-Bresson has always been a favourite of mine, though from a little bit later I really like the work of Bert Hardy, especially his Glasgow pictures:
http://www.photonet.org.uk/index.php?ppid=338
My grandfather owned a photography shop in Scotland in early 20th Century. Our loft was full of old stock - lenses, box cameras, bellows cameras, etc, plus lots of his own photographs. Fascinating legacy.