First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Do you see him? He's standing at the front edge of the tree-lined sidewalk. It looks like he's pumping water from a fountain with his foot, doesn't it?
(h/t Jonah Golberg at The Corner).
Read more about this evocative photo here.
This photograph of Boulevard du Temple in Paris was made in 1838 by Louis Daguerre, the brilliant guy that invented the daguerreotype process of photography. Aside from its distinction of being a super early photograph, it’s also the first photograph to ever include a human being.
I love this image. I love that this is the first photo of a human ever taken. I love the way it connects you to another time and another place. And I love that the man is the only person on the street, going about his business thinking he is perfectly alone, when of course he is not--the photographer is there too.
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May '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
This is a wonderful photograph. Actually, though, the man is not alone. The street is probably full of people, but because of the extremely long exposures required by the early photographic process, anyone who is moving does not register on the plate. This is the reason why people appear so rarely in early photographs.
The reason this man appears is that he is having his shoes shined, so he stood still while the plate was exposed. The shoe shine man also appears in the photograph, directly in front of him. Some people see another person on the bench to the right of them, closer to the building.
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Daniel Frank: This is a wonderful photograph. Actually, though, the man is not alone. The street is probably full of people, but because of the extremely long exposures required by the early photographic process, anyone who is moving does not register on the plate. This is the reason why people appear so rarely in early photographs.
The reason this man appears is that he is having his shoes shined, so he stood still while the plate was exposed. The shoe shine man also appears in the photograph, directly in front of him. Some people see another person on the bench to the right of them, closer to the building. · Oct 29 at 7:23am
How interesting! So the object that I, philistine that I am, thought was a fountain is actually another person. Thanks for the correction, Daniel.
Jul '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Thanks for the photo Emily,
Wow I’m learning a lot about the French lately and all from Ricochet contributors.
I knew the French brought us photography but I’ve never seen this shot. They also perfected bread.
Photography and bread are two of my passions ( my website shameless plug www.lifeimagery.net). I’m starting construction on my second wood burning bread bead oven in December.
I’ll stop before I begin extolling the virtues of Jerry Lewis.
Vive La Ricochet
Jun '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
If you look really closely it appears that he's on a cellphone.
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Wonderful, Emily. So evocative and strange.
May '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Boymoose: Thanks for the photo Emily,
Wow I’m learning a lot about the French lately and all from Ricochet contributors.
I knew the French brought us photography but I’ve never seen this shot. They also perfected bread.
Photography and bread are two of my passions ( my website shameless plug www.lifeimagery.net). I’m starting construction on my second wood burning bread bead oven in December.
I’ll stop before I begin extolling the virtues of Jerry Lewis.
Vive La Ricochet · Oct 29 at 7:32am
Spectactular photography on your site, Boymoose. Such talent in our growing Ricochet community! Grammar looked pretty darned good, too.... ;-)
Oct '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Given the ubiquity of digital cameras it's hard for me to wrap my head around the significance of this photograph but it reminded me of something else.
Four years ago the BBC reported that a photograph of Mozart's widow had been found. I was fascinated by the idea that that photograph, obviously very old itself, formed a sort bridge to an even more distant past inasmuch as the eyes captured by the camera had once watched Mozart at work.
It's a heavy thought for a Friday but these sorts of things leave their mark on me.
May '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Thanks. That's very cool.
I can't imagine how amazing photography must have seemed when it was first invented. Who would have dreamed just 50 years ago that today half of Americans (or more) walk around with camera-phones? Technological innovations are generally so gradual that its difficult to realize just how wonderful they are.
Great photos, Boymoose. "Cloud Fall" is extraordinary.
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Boymoose--what beautiful pictures! I especially love the third one, which looks like the shadow of a tree and a person. It's haunting.
Aug '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Awesome, and awe inspiring, is the only way to describe the power of these images. Imagine a world where the clock and the steam engine are the most advanced technology on the planet; where horses and buggies and sailing ships are all that's available to most people who want to travel; a world that turns to candles and whale oil lamps when the sun sets, and you warm yourself with an open coal or wood fire.
The only music you hear is played by hand, or sung live; entertainment is limited to parlor games, music halls, vaudeville theaters, and books. Most men work dawn to dusk, and women from dawn to perhaps an hour before sleep. Food has to be eaten quickly before it spoils, and can't be transported more than a few miles; kitchens had an open fire, or an iron stove - if you were rich enough to afford one. Washing clothes took several whole days every week, and without vacuum cleaners, houses and the floors in them had to be scrubbed down by hand with a damp rag. But you didn't know about germs and viruses, so you didn't lose sleep over it.
Edited on Oct 29, 2010 at 12:46pmMay '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
No, The French didnt invent anything. People living in France did. They had a society that made it possible. And now, not so much. Let's not go there. Especially next Tuesday.
Sep '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Hi Emily, thanks for posting this wonderful picture. I've always been fascinated by those relics from the dawn of photography. The most amazing daguerreotype I have ever seen (besides the one you posted and a photo of the 78-year-old Andrew Jackson) is this 1839 self-portrait of Robert Cornelius, a photographer from Philadelphia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RobertCornelius.jpg. He looks so natural and alive.
Jul '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
I, too, think about time captured on film. I think of the billions upon billions of people who lived and had families and no one will ever know what they looked like. Now We are creating Family Trees with branches and leaves with pictures going back generations. I find it amazing.
And with the internet, We can post a picture of Ourselves and be seen for a long time.
Edited on Oct 29, 2010 at 6:00pmOct '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
It's interesting, isn't it, how our imaginations often have to catch up with our technology? I'm reminded of this whenever folks claim we didn't walk on the moon and that the film footage was just filmed at Area 51 and slowed down 6x. Pointing out that Isaac Newton told us that "F = ma" long before we went to the moon, that the "a" stands for "acceleration," and that the equation is linear, doesn't always seem to clear the air...
Jul '10
Re: First Photo Ever of a Human Being
Thanks all ....