Daguerreotype of a Parisian Street

Daguerreotype of a Parisian Street 1

Material/Specs: Silver-plated copper sheet, Iodine vapor treated.

Context & Provenance

When It Was Found (Creation Context)

Purchased anonymously from a flea market stall in Lyon in the 1950s.

Country & Location of Origin

Paris, France

Real History & Interpretation

Taken by Louis Daguerre’s assistant, this image shows the first discernible human figure in a photograph—a man having his boots shined, who remained still long enough to be imprinted. The long exposure times made capturing moving subjects nearly impossible initially.

Image Licensing Note: All visuals for artifacts in this collection are assumed to be licensed under Creative Commons or Public Domain for educational display purposes.