Nic?phore Ni?pce, French Inventor

Nic?phore Ni?pce (1765-1833) was a French inventor and a pioneer in the field of photography. Ni?pce served as a staff officer in the French army under Napoleon. Ni?pce took what is believed to be the world's first photogravure etching, in 1822, of an engraving of Pope Pius VII, but the original was later destroyed when he attempted to duplicate it. He also experimented with silver chloride, which darkens when exposed to light, but eventually looked to bitumen, which he used in his first successful attempt at capturing nature photographically. In 1829 he began collaborating on improved photographic processes with Louis Daguerre, and together they developed the physautotype, a process that used lavender oil. Among Ni?pce's other inventions was the Pyr?olophore, the world's first internal combustion engine, which he conceived, created, and developed with his older brother Claude who had descended into delirium and squandered much of the family fortune chasing inappropriate business opportunities for the Pyr?olophore. Nic?phore died in 1833 at the age of 68

Restrictions Only for Ireland and United Kingdom

1765 1833 Chloride Experimented Improved Nicephore Niepce Photogravure Processes

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > PHR