Heliography (1816)
Created by Joseph-Nicéphore Niépce (1765-1833), a French inventor who used pewter (an alloy of tin and copper) with various sensitive chemicals, he was able to superimpose the effects of sunlight onto objects.
He coined the method, Heliography in 1816.
The use of Heliography may be considered the first true picture.
The Daguerreotype (1833)
Invented by Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre in 1833, the Daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process.
The Daguerreotype, similar to pewter, was an alloy of copper and silver which operated in exposure to the chemicals of iodine, mercury, and gold chloride to produce an image. This process of exposure to form an image could take anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes.
The Daguerreotype produced extremely accurate portraits yet elicited fear and suspicion in much of society.
Calotype (Late 1830s)
The calotype was a photographic technique invented in the late 1830s by William Henry Fox Talbot.
This method utilized paper coated with silver chloride to form negative images of intercepted light.
The most revolutionary aspect of Talbot’s discovery, was the chemical galic acid which accelerated the reaction and enabled shorter exposure times.
(500BC-1000AD)
The Pinhole Camera is the first recorded camera in history. Using Camera Obscura (Latin for “dark room”), the process by which light as it travels through a small opening onto a dark surface, produces an inverted and transposed image of its source.
The concept of Camera Obscura was discovered originally by the Chinese philosopher Mozi, and later again by both Aristotle and the Islamic Scholar Alhazen.
The pinhole camera became an invaluable in the creation of drawings with precise detail, perspective, and portion.
The KODAK (1900)
The Kodak, invented by George Eastman, was the first film roll camera in history.
It was designed for simplicity, allowing the masses of society access to photography.
"You Press the Button, We do the rest"
The Brownie (1900-1960)
Not too long after, the Eastman Kodak Company introduced the next version of the box camera.
The Brownie.
This camera further acted as a forerunner of photography due to its accessibility and low cost.
Technological Surveillance in a box.
HISTORY OF THE CAMERA
HISTORY OF THE CAMERA
Camera Phone
(2000)
The camera phone was first built and released by Sharp in Japan in the early 2000s.
From being a 0.35 megapixel camera to the now 326ppi, camera phones have acted as an extensive intermediate of surveillance both by and of society.
Camera Surveillance Today
The camera has become an archetype of surveillance in modern day, being only one of several methods by which information is gathered and used in contemporary culture.
Its rise and advancement has always been followed by both a sense of amazement and terror, altering legislation such that society may accept this new method while feeling protected against wrongful use.
From controlling what may be seen at major sporting events, to security footage, the camera is used both by and on society.
Other Technology
The use of the camera in such surveillance has inspired computer technology along with other staples such wire tapping, and the intermediate of social media, to become the modern day method of gathering basic and personal information of the masses.
With each new from of surveillance, laws are generally changed to suit and protect individuals from the misuse of such advancements. However, the ability of legislation to protect against all forms always falls short.