Photography in the 19th Century: The Birth of a Visual Revolution

A Timeline of Key Inventions

1826 – The First Photograph

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first successful permanent image using a process called heliography. It took 8 hours to expose and is the earliest surviving photograph.

1839 – The Daguerreotype

Louis Daguerre introduced the daguerreotype, the first publicly available photographic process. It used a silvered copper plate and iodine vapors, creating stunning detail—but each image was unique (no negatives).

1841 – The Calotype

Invented by William Henry Fox Talbot, this process produced paper negatives, allowing for multiple positive prints—a major leap forward.

1850s–1860s – Albumen Prints & Carte de Visite

Egg whites coated on paper created albumen prints, the most common 19th-century print type. Paired with the carte de visite, small portrait photos became affordable and widely collected.

1871 – The Gelatin Dry Plate

This innovation allowed photographers to shoot without preparing plates on-site, making photography faster and portable, laying the groundwork for modern film.

Types of 19th-Century Photographs

Daguerreotype

• Unique, mirror-like surface on a metal plate

• Housed in decorative cases

• Common between 1840–1860

• High detail but fragile

Ambrotype

• Created on glass, usually with a black backing

• Cheaper alternative to daguerreotypes

• Monochrome tones with less sharpness

Tintype (Ferrotype)

• Printed on thin iron sheets

• Durable, affordable, and popular during the Civil War

• Often hand-colored

Albumen Print

• Paper print with a glossy finish

• Slight yellowing over time is typical

• Usually found mounted on cardboard

Important 19th-Century Photographers

Julia Margaret Cameron

Renowned for her soft-focus, emotive portraits—often of family, artists, and writers.

Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon)

A French pioneer of portrait photography and early aerial views.

Gustave Le Gray

A master of seascapes and multiple-exposure negatives, blending sky and sea.

Mathew Brady

Famous for documenting the American Civil War with stark realism.

How to Identify a 19th-Century Photograph

1. Examine the material – Is it metal, glass, or paper?

2. Check the format – Is it cased, mounted, or loose?

3. Note the size – Many 19th-century images are small (like cartes de visite).

4. Look for studio marks – Backstamps or imprints often include photographer details.

5. Condition clues – Yellowing, foxing, or silvering-out may help date the print.

Why 19th-Century Photography Still Matters

19th-century photography offers an unmatched window into the past—an era of innovation, industrial change, and human expression. For collectors, historians, and art lovers, these photographs are not just images; they are physical traces of memory.

Today, many of these works are valued not only for their rarity but also for their craftsmanship. Museums and private collectors actively seek authentic early prints—especially well-preserved daguerreotypes and albumen portraits.