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Louis Daguerre's daguerreotype photographic process with complete working instructions is published "free to the world"

Louis Daguerre's daguerreotype photographic process with complete working instructions is published "free to the world" in Paris as a gift from the French government

Daguerreotype was the first publicly available photographic process, widely used from the 1830s to 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process.

Invented by Louis Daguerre and introduced worldwide in 1839, the daguerreotype was almost completely superseded by 1856 with new, less expensive processes, such as ambrotype (collodion process), that yield more readily viewable images. There has been a revival of the daguerreotype since the late 20th century by a small number of photographers interested in making artistic use of early photographic processes.

Historical Significance

Daguerreotype was the first publicly available photographic process, widely used from the 1830s to 1850s.

Key People

Louis-Jacques Daguerre

scientist, artist and photographer

French scientist, artist and photographer

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Events Before

  1. First official horse race in South Australia takes place in Adelaide

    Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the fifth-most populous city in Australia.

  2. Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail demonstrate their telegraph machine in New Jersey

    Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American inventor and painter.

  3. First public demonstration of telegraph messages sent using dots and dashes at Speedwell Ironworks in Morristown, New Je

    First public demonstration of telegraph messages sent using dots and dashes at Speedwell Ironworks in Morristown, New Jersey, by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail

  4. Coronation of Queen Victoria, aged 19, during a five-hour ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London [1]

    The coronation of Victoria as queen of the United Kingdom took place on Thursday, 28 June 1838, just over a year after she succeeded to the throne of the United Kingdom at the age of 18.

  5. Huskar Pit Disaster: 26 children drown while trying to escape flooding in the Silkstone Colliery in England. Leads to th

    Huskar Pit Disaster: 26 children drown while trying to escape flooding in the Silkstone Colliery in England. Leads to the 1842 Mines Act, which bans women and children from working underground. [1]

Events After

  1. First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

    First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

  2. American naval expedition under Charles Wilkes is first to identify Antarctica as a new continent

    American naval expedition under Charles Wilkes is first to identify Antarctica as a new continent

  3. French "The Three Musketeers" novelist Alexandre Dumas (37) weds French actress Ida Ferrier (29), until her death in 185

    French "The Three Musketeers" novelist Alexandre Dumas (37) weds French actress Ida Ferrier (29), until her death in 1859

  4. Treaty of Waitangi is signed between 40 Māori chiefs (later signed by 500) and representatives of the British crown in W

    Treaty of Waitangi is signed between 40 Māori chiefs (later signed by 500) and representatives of the British crown in Waitangi, New Zealand and shares sovereignty between the two groups

  5. British Queen Victoria (20) marries her cousin Albert (20) of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, later the Prince Consort at St Jame

    British Queen Victoria (20) marries her cousin Albert (20) of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, later the Prince Consort at St James' Palace

More from the 1830s

Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador),

Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador), the only plantation diary to survive from the Bahamas (ends Dec 1832) [1]

Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people

Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people

German Zollverein (Customs Union) comes into effect

The Zollverein, or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories.

First official horse race in South Australia takes place in Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the fifth-most populous city in Australia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 19, 1839?
Daguerreotype was the first publicly available photographic process, widely used from the 1830s to 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process. Invented by Louis Daguerre and introduced worldwide in 1839, the daguerreotype was almost completely superseded by 1856 with new, less expensive processes, such as ambrotype (collodion process), that yield more readily viewable images.
Why is Louis Daguerre's daguerreotype photographic process with complete working ins... significant?
Daguerreotype was the first publicly available photographic process, widely used from the 1830s to 1850s.
Who was involved in Louis Daguerre's daguerreotype photographic process with complete working ins...?
Key figures include Louis-Jacques Daguerre (scientist, artist and photographer).

Explore More

August 19 in HistoryYear 1839