First Photograph (1826)

Hello there. My name is Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. I lived in a cozy house in France a long, long time ago. My favorite thing to do was look out my window. I could see the rooftops of other buildings and the big, beautiful sky. The sunshine made such a pretty picture outside my window every day. I had a big dream. I wished I could keep that sunshine picture forever and ever. I had a special box, my little sun-catcher, and a shiny, shiny plate. I wondered, could I use them to catch the sunshine and keep it.

One special day in the year 1826, I decided to try. I took my shiny plate and put a special sticky coating on it. Then, very carefully, I placed it inside my sun-catcher box. I put my box on the windowsill and pointed it outside. Now, it was time to wait. And wait. And wait. The sun was my paintbrush, and it painted very, very slowly. It painted all day long. It painted for many, many hours. I was so excited. I wondered if my magic trick would work. I just had to be patient and let the sun do its work.

When the sun started to go down, I took my plate out of the box. I washed it very gently with special oils. And then, I saw it. It was a little blurry and a little faint, but it was there. A picture of the rooftops outside my window. My forever picture. I did it. I caught the sunshine on my plate. I was so happy I wanted to dance. My first little picture showed everyone that we could save a moment in time. So when you take a picture with a camera today, remember me. You are catching the sunshine, too.