Before we talk about the camera, we have to go back to the Middle Ages around A.D. 500 - 1500. At this time, Monks copied manuscripts by their hand. This caused the need to help with the process of mass producing manuscripts. In 1450, the Gutenberg Printing Press was created. This system wasn't perfect. It had it's limitations when it came to distribution. Transportation limited the distance people of this time could travel. In 1605, the Hackney-coach was invented, these had four-wheeled coaches drawn by two horses that could accommodate six people and were used for hire.
Jumping to the 17th century, the first newspapers were invented but weren't great because a lot of people of that time were illiterate causing readership to be limited. The printing press allowed large volumes and the development of railways facilitated wide distribution. The printing press needed to be hand operated so mass producing a news paper still took a long time.
It was in the 19th century, that steam-powered printing presses that didn't need to be hand operated were invented. Letterpresses were like Gutenberg's press. Letterpresses require an operator to set moveable type, ink it, and press paper against it. It also gave a beautiful handmade look. It wasn't till the offset press revolutionized the printing industry. This made it possible to print huge quantities more efficiently and cost-effectively. Modern offset printing uses a computer to create the plate. These are able to mass produce newspapers, magazines, books and other printed materials.
In 1989, the Digital press was created. The digital press has revolutionized the printing industry as well as the Modern offset. Unlike the offset, they don't require plates. The offset wasn't economical in low volumes, because of it's metal plates being very costly to produce since each sheet of print needed it's own plate.
Between the years 1500's and the 1800's, the Camera Obscura was used. This was an early form of a camera. It was a big box that used a lens that allowed light through onto a frosted sheet of glass. Artists would then draw on top of the glass to make outlines of buildings or landscapes. The problem with this tool was that the image was only temporary and depended on on the light source to create. Since the light was used from the sun, the artist had to be very quick to be able to catch the image otherwise it would change.
It was in the 1800's, that the first photograph/ camera was created. It was invented by scientist who wanted a way to capture their work. They wanted a way to capture their work right there in the moment rather than getting an artist to paint it for them. The first photographers were scientists that wanted to print a permanent image. The first photo ever created was taken by Joseph Niepee around 1826 and 1827. It took eight hours of exposure, so that way the sunlight reflects off both sides of the buildings being captured. The photo turned out to be very dark and was under exposed. There were no people in these types of photo's because they took too long to create. This way of photography was still more accurate and faster than drawing.
Daguerrotype was invented in 1839. It was better than the previous ways of photography. This new way of taking photos took 15 minutes to capture. The photo that was created under this version included two people in the photo. The person was getting their shoes signed which usually took 15 minutes. It used a mirror to help with lighting the subject. It also used mercury vapor to help exposure development time.
In 1851, the Collodion was invented. It used a wet plate to capture the image. This revolutionized photography. It was faster but people being pictured still didn't smile. It took 20 seconds to 5 minutes for exposure time. It was produced on glass which made it cheaper. Artists around the world were against photographs. They didn't consider it art. They felt that real art was created by hand. This camera used silver night trait. This needed a dark room to develop the photos. The process of setting the plate up uses chemicals and putting them on the glass plate making the plate wet. When it comes to taking a photo, one has to be quick. Once the wet plate is ready, one would put it in the camera, take the camera cap off to expose it and then put the lid back on. Once done, one would take the now photo out of the camera and run to get it developed without exposing it. To develop it in a dark room, one would have to be quick and slosh it around a liquid chemical to see the photo in the light.
It's thanks to the Collodion that we're able to have cameras enter our lives at this point in time. People, the public, were able to see the same photo to actually see the truth. Matthew Bradley took photos of the Civil War in 1862. This exposed people to the war and what it actually looked like. In the 1900's, the first photo was put into newspapers.
With the invention of photography, photographers and scientists could push the limit and started to see if they could capture time. Scientist and French photographer, Etienne Jules Marey in the year 1890, wanted to show movement in photo. He would take a photo of each movement and put it onto one frame to show all movements together and kinetic motion. He did it so he could study body movement. Marey used photographic gun to take photos. The gun had a revolving cylinder with photographic plates, allowing Marey to take aim and shoot through 12 frames a second. This was the beginning of film.
Muybridge in 1887 was the pioneer in capturing time on film. He took several cameras to capture time. He created the zoopraxiscope. This device projected images in rapid succession onto a screen from photographs printed on a rotating glass disc, producing the illusion of moving pictures. This was an important predecessor of the modern cinema. Muybridge put together the horse's gallop experiment. He wanted to prove that there was a point when all four of a horse's hooves are off the ground while it's galloping. He took serval cameras, lined them up and took a photo as the horse ran. He ended up proving the horse does indeed have all four hooves off the ground at the same time. This was the beginning of stop motion.
Louis Le Prince was the first person to create a moving picture. In 1888, he created a moving picture outside his window. Unfortunately, Le Prince was mysteriously murdered before he could get the recognition for his creation. Some people speculate that Edison might of been the murderer.
Talking about Edison, Edison hired a lot of inventors to invent for things so he could take credit for them. Dickson, was his British assistant, created the Kinetograph in 1890 and the Kinetoscope. The Kinetoscope was motor powered, could play little film. It used a stripe of film over a light. It created an illusion of movement. He also created the Kinetiphone. He wanted to create a camera that captures sound as well. It failed and wouldn't be created until 105 years later. Woman weren't allowed to join in working on these projects. Edison created another Kinetiphone and it was able to work. Nineteen talking pictures were produced in 1913 by Edison.
The Lumiere Brothers created the Cinematographe in 1895. They were the first to put movies on the big screen. They did a public demonstration. The Cinematographe was a three in one. It could project film, photograph and record at 16 frames a second. The Lumiere Brothers would travel to showcase their work.
George Miles created a the first movie called A Trip to the Moon. It was the beginning of science-fiction. Miles, the French film maker, was viewed as a magician with special effects done.
In 1888, the first Kodak camera was invented. This was the beginning of amateur photography. The invention of the Kodak camera allowed access to anyone/the public to the usage of cameras now.
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