On 19 August 1839, in a momentous event in Paris, Louis Daguerre's revolutionary daguerreotype photographic process was officially published and made available "free to the world" as a magnanimous gift from the French government.
This pioneering technique, which allowed for the creation of remarkably detailed images on silvered copper plates, marked the birth of practical photography.
By sharing the complete working instructions without any charge, France not only democratized the art of image-making but also ignited a global passion for photography, forever altering the way humanity would capture and perceive the world around it.
