Portrait study of chess players by William Henry and Fox Talbot, to show how negatives can be used to make any number of positives.
Early French photograph of men guillotining themselves.
Showing how camera works to girl scouts.
Carte d’Entree for one of the first public demonstration of the cinematograph, an early motion picture projector, invented by French photographic manufacturers Auguste and Louis Lumiere.
Simultaneous front and side views of a man somersaulting for a study of human locomotion.
The Washington, D.C. photography studio of Mrs. Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864-1952).
Camera hidden inside a necktie.
Early camera with decorative edging.
An early French photographer had a bizarre effect by doubling his bearded subject.
Early camera made to look like a photo album.
Brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere, French photographic manufacturers who invented the cinematograph, an early motion picture projector, posing in the year they first demonstrated their invention (1895).
Engraving depicting the first public demonstration of the cinematograph, an early motion picture projector, invented by French photographic manufacturers Auguste and Louis Lumiere.
Camera designed to take eight small wallet sized pictures on a metal plate at once.
Yosemite National Park
Elephant shot by George Eastman dominates the museum.
(via LIFE photo archives + Library of Congress)
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Incredible… something about the black-and-white shots seem to resonate more than modern photography. Some of those photos look like they could’ve been taken yesterday.
Great collection; not the often repeated images associated with early photography. New views. Thanks!
I like the “double” shot.
Great stuff! I love early photography. In fact, Sebastiano’s great-grandfather, Michele Cappelli, was one of the pioneers of the photographic industry in Italy. In 1885 he opened the first Italian factory producing dry gel photographic plates. I’d love to do some more research on the subject!
Super thanks for the comments, all of you!
Laura, this is terrifically interesting about Seba’s grandfather. I do hope you have a chance to research, would love to hear more and publish whatever you might turn up.