The world's first photograph

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce was a genius

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce

Who was fascinated with lithography
He began experimenting in 1816
And this led to a ground-breaking discovery
Using engravings carved on stone or glass
And making these transparent
With a layer of light-sensitive varnish
Things soon became apparent
He was able to copy an engraving
With a wireless solar telegraph
Of a man leading his horse
The instrument is known as heliograph
Niépce made his almighty breakthrough
A year later and a decade on from his start
When he used a polished pewter plate
And bitumen of Judea playing a part
Using a camera obscura which projected images
Of its surroundings on a screen
The Frenchman set up the device in his home
In order to capture the scene
At the window of his study he exposed the lens
For eight hours straight
Afterwards an image was rendered visible
When he carefully washed the plate

View from the Window at Le Gras

He gave the piece a name
Calling it 'View from the Window at Le Gras'
The piece was very special
Because it was the world's first photograph
Before passing away Niépce made a partner
A French artist named Louis Daguerre
His job was to carry on the legacy
With deserved love and care
He created the daguerrotype, a silver-plated sheet of copper
And many people did he convince
That photography existed
Including a young Louis Le Prince