Artist: Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (France). Untitled ‘point de vue’ (perspective), aka View from the Window at Le Gras (1827). Heliograph on pewter, 16.7 x 20.3 x .15 cm.

PRIMARY MATERIALS FOR September 10

View the photograph: J. Nicéphore Niépce, View from the Window at Le Gras

Download a high-resolution file of Niépce’s famous “first photograph” from the Harry Ransom Center here.

Read some useful historical info. about Niépce’s “first photograph” published by the Harry Ransom Center (short article by Barbara Brown) here.

RESEARCH ACTIVITY (Complete BEFORE you come to class):

Research and curate 5 photographs by Niépce/connected with early photography*; bring in to class to share**

As part of your curated image collection, write and bring in a short paragraph (approx. 150-200 words) explaining why you chose the photographs you did. Your reasons may be connected with any aspect of the photograph/s (it could be connected with the medium/process, with an aesthetic element of the image, with a concept or an idea, with a historical fact — up to you!).

Intertexts/dialogues:
Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (inventor/photographer/dagerreotypist, active in France)
William Henry Fox Talbot (inventor/photographer, active in England)
Hercule Florence (inventor/photographer, active in Brazil)
Sarah Anne Bright (photographer, active in England)
Constance Fox Talbot (photographer, active in England)
Anna Atkins (photographer, active in England)

*Reminder: You are required to use SPECIFIC TYPES of research resources for your curatorial research in this class. See syllabus or download file detailing acceptable research resources HERE:


**Reminder: You are required to BRING in your curated image collections to class EVERY WEEK (each time we start a new photograph). You will then ALSO hand all of your curatorial research in again at the end of the semester, as part of your FINAL PORTFOLIO. See syllabus or DOWNLOAD THIS FILE detailing acceptable formats for submitting your work / bringing it in to class: