Photography Timeline

  • Jan 1, 1501

    Michaelangelo creates David, in Florence

    Micahelangelo, known as the greatest sculptor in the history of sculpting created David in Florence.
  • First Photo-Sensitive Compound

    Professor Johann Schulze mixes chalk, nitric acid, and silver in a flask and notices a darkening on the side of the flask that is exposed to sunlight.
  • First Photographic Image

    The first photographic image was created with the camera obscura.
  • Calotype was invented

    William Henry Talbot patented the calotype which made it possible for multiple copies of a picture.
  • First Color Photo

    The first color photograph was taken in 1861. Three black and white images were passed through filters to make the color.
  • Brady took Civil War Photos

    Brady started taking pictures of the civil war, which put him at a lot of risk but inspired other photographers.
  • U.S. Congress sent Photographers out West

    Center of period when the U.S. congress sent photographers out West to take the pictures. The most famous pictures were taken by William Jackson and Tim O'Sullivan.
  • First Photograph in New York Graphic

    George Eastman sets up Eastman Dry Plate Company in Rochester, New York and the first half-tone photograph appears in the New York Graphic, a Newspaper.
  • Hand Camera's Became Widely Available

    Cameras that did not require tripods became widely available.
  • Pablo Picasso's Career Began

    It can be said that Pablo Picasso's career started this year.
  • First X-Ray Picture Taking

    Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen was the first person to take an x-ray picture.
  • First 35mm still camera invented

    Oskar Barnack while working for Ernst Leitz invented the first still working 35mm camera.
  • Photos were reguarly used in magazines

    Photographs and text were reguarly used in magazines.
  • Instant color film was introduced

    Polaroid introduced the first color film.
  • First photograph from the Moon of the Earth

    The first picture of the Earth was taken from the moon in 1968