Safekipedia

Nicéphore Niépce

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

The first surviving photograph ever taken, showing a view from an upstairs window in France in 1827.

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce was a clever inventor from France. He loved science and wanted to find new ways to make pictures.

Niépce created one of the first ways to take pictures using sunlight. This was called heliography. In the 1820s, he made what we think is the oldest picture of a real place that still exists today. It shows a quiet street with a few people and animals.

Besides pictures, Niépce also worked on other cool inventions. With his brother Claude Niépce, he built an early machine that could move by burning fuel. This was a very first version of what we now call a car engine.

Niépce was born in Chalon-sur-Saône, a town in France. He studied science and later taught school. He liked to try new ideas and solve problems. People remember him because his work helped start the wonderful world of photography.

Images

Birthplace of Nicéphore Niépce, an important inventor in the history of photography.
The oldest known photograph, made in 1825 by Nicéphore Niépce, shows a man leading a horse—a fascinating glimpse into early photography!
An early photograph from 1823 by Nicéphore Niépce, showing a landscape using a technique called heliography.
An early photograph from 1825 by Nicéphore Niépce, showing a landscape with people—a fascinating piece of history!
An early bicycle called a Dandy horse, invented in 1818 and displayed in a museum.
Portrait of Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, an early pioneer in photography.
An early camera photograph showing a set table, created by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in the 1800s.

Related articles

France

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Nicéphore Niépce, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.