This article shows just how easy it is to lose your way when exploring the history of Nicéphore Niépce and the invention of photography—a field where many errors still persist. Fortunately, there is one essential resource…
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BIENNALE DI SENIGALLIA
Niépce’s son claimed his father was inspired to invent photography by witnessing the invention of lithography firsthand. In reality, this is a shortcut, a misunderstanding, and a mistake.
Niépce was certainly curious and wanted to see how lithography worked, but after his first experiments, what’s clear is that he followed an instruction from his brother Claude: to try to find a limestone quarry suitable for lithography.
One common misconception is the location of this stone. It wasn’t simply a matter of looking near the Rhône; the quarry Niépce sourced from was near Chalon. The stone he provided was of good quality, but unfortunately, it had colored veins, which made it less than ideal.
It all began when Jacques Poisson de la Chabeaussière (1755–1823) visited Claude Niépce at 42 Rue du Bac in Paris in April 1816. Nicephore’s older brother was residing in Paris to present and promote the Pyréolophore.
Claude then asked Nicéphore to join the nationwide search for the best limestone suitable for the new technique of lithography, which was needed to reproduce drawings and illustrations.
The French government no longer wanted to import expensive stones from Germany and hoped to find the best possible quarries in France. Nicéphore began the search and found a stone near Chalon that had an excellent appearance, except for some red veins. Despite this, its qualities for water and acid absorption were excellent. On September 17, Nicéphore sent Poisson de la Chabeaussière a heavy box of stone samples, the main one measuring about 30 x 30 x 9 cm.
Nicéphore was thanked for his efforts—though he was never reimbursed for his expenses.
A few topics in the history of photography are quietly complex. The relationship between Niépce, the Seyssel region, bitumen, and lithography is one such example. In one sense, it is only a technical detail; in another, it marks an early stage in the development of a new way to record images.
There is ongoing confusion in the literature about Niépce’s connection to lithography and Seyssel limestone, and we, too, have shared in that confusion. Many sources conflate his use of Seyssel bitumen with the search for lithographic stone, when in reality, his main innovation was chemical, not lithographic.
Niépce’s experiments with bitumen from Pyrimont (Chanay), about six miles north of Seyssel, are at the foundation of photographic invention. While the “Point de vue du Gras” is well known, the importance of the material—and the place it came from—is often overlooked. Niépce was already familiar with asphalt through his earlier work on the Pyréolophore.
Jean-Louis Marignier has emphasized that in many letters, the way Nicéphore writes makes it clear he never actually experimented with lithography.
The Niépce Correspondence [https://niepce-correspondance-et-papiers.com/livre/P4/] is an essential resource.
Maison Niépce provides direct online access [https://niepce-correspondance-et-papiers.com/livre/P4/] to the original French texts, allowing you to search by keyword. Try searching for terms such as “Chabeaussière,” “Seissel” or “Seyssel,” “pierre,” and “lithographie.”
In fact, it was his son Isidore who introduced confusion. Nicéphore was interested in applying engraving to stone—but there isn’t really a name for this. Engraving limestone with acid or a burin is extremely rare, and no artist pursued it as a practice. By contrast, everyone was interested in the ease of lithography.
You can access the correspondence by clicking on any image in this article or by clicking here [https://niepce-correspondance-et-papiers.com/livre/P4/].
Isidore was often absent from his father’s experiments—absent as a young soldier, absent as a newlywed, absent as a young father. He seems generally confused, and we now understand the role played by the Russian academician Hamel in helping him piece things together, whereas Daguerre, it seems, did everything to unsettle him. When historians, in 1867, tried to reconstruct the story, Isidore’s memory was still just as confused—if not more so—than in 1841, when he wrote his pamphlet against Daguerre.
Let’s close with a special postcard dedicated to Nicéphore, created for the Misteri della Fotografia series!
Note for collectors: the first printing of postcard JNN-5 bears an erroneous caption, as it follows the common opinion that Niépce was interested in limestone and visited the Seyssel quarries. This will be corrected in the next printing, but a few rare copies with the mistake are already in circulation.
JNN-5. Limestone quarry near Chalon, 1816
The new royalist administration of the Restoration asked Nicéphore for help and entrusted him with a mission: to find stones suitable for lithography.
But beware! These were not the Seyssel quarries (Val de Fier, near the Rhône River)—Nicéphore was interested in other Seyssel mines, specifically the asphalt mines at Pyrimont, 6 km north, while the Val de Fier quarries are 10 km south.
Heliochromy published as a postcard, mixed media on a digital base: collage, engraving, gouache retouching, and manual interventions.
JNN-5. Cava di calcare vicino Chalon, 1816
La nuova amministrazione realista della Restaurazione chiede l’aiuto di Nicéphore e gli affida una missione: trovare pietre adatte alla litografia.
Attenzione ! Non sono le cave di Seyssel (Val de Fer, vicino al fiume Rhone) – Nicéphore si interessa ad altre miniere di Seyssel, quelle di asfalto a Pyrimont, a 6 km al Norte quando le cave di val de Fier sono 10 km al sud.
Nota per i collezionisti: la prima stampa della cartolina JNN-5 riporta una didascalia errata, poiché segue l’opinione comune secondo cui Niépce fosse interessato al calcare e avesse visitato le cave di Seyssel. Questo errore verrà corretto nella prossima stampa, ma alcune rare copie con l’errore sono già in circolazione.
Eliocromia pubblicata come cartolina, procedimento misto su base digitale: collage, incisione, ritocco a gouache e interventi manuali, e fa parte della prima serie I Misteri della Fotografia, dedicata ai miti ed ai precursori
Edizioni Atelier 41, via Fratelli Bandiera, Senigallia
La Fotografia è la più bella delle collezioni …
Senigallia, città della fotografia, ospitera nuovi spazi dedicato alla ricerca e promozione della fotografia.
Atelier 41 si trova 41 via fratelli Bandiera.
Senigallia diventerà la Città delle collezioni.
Any question : fotografia@atelier41.org
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ATELIER 41
Via Fratelli Bandiera 41
60019 Senigallia
Italy
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BIENNALE DI SENIGALLIA
Niépce’s son claimed his father was inspired to invent photography by witnessing the invention of lithography firsthand. In reality, this is a shortcut, a misunderstanding, and a mistake.
Niépce was certainly curious and wanted to see how lithography worked, but after his first experiments, what’s clear is that he followed an instruction from his brother Claude: to try to find a limestone quarry suitable for lithography.
One common misconception is the location of this stone. It wasn’t simply a matter of looking near the Rhône; the quarry Niépce sourced from was near Chalon. The stone he provided was of good quality, but unfortunately, it had colored veins, which made it less than ideal.
It all began when Jacques Poisson de la Chabeaussière (1755–1823) visited Claude Niépce at 42 Rue du Bac in Paris in April 1816. Nicephore’s older brother was residing in Paris to present and promote the Pyréolophore.
Claude then asked Nicéphore to join the nationwide search for the best limestone suitable for the new technique of lithography, which was needed to reproduce drawings and illustrations.
The French government no longer wanted to import expensive stones from Germany and hoped to find the best possible quarries in France. Nicéphore began the search and found a stone near Chalon that had an excellent appearance, except for some red veins. Despite this, its qualities for water and acid absorption were excellent. On September 17, Nicéphore sent Poisson de la Chabeaussière a heavy box of stone samples, the main one measuring about 30 x 30 x 9 cm.
Nicéphore was thanked for his efforts—though he was never reimbursed for his expenses.
A few topics in the history of photography are quietly complex. The relationship between Niépce, the Seyssel region, bitumen, and lithography is one such example. In one sense, it is only a technical detail; in another, it marks an early stage in the development of a new way to record images.
There is ongoing confusion in the literature about Niépce’s connection to lithography and Seyssel limestone, and we, too, have shared in that confusion. Many sources conflate his use of Seyssel bitumen with the search for lithographic stone, when in reality, his main innovation was chemical, not lithographic.
Niépce’s experiments with bitumen from Pyrimont (Chanay), about six miles north of Seyssel, are at the foundation of photographic invention. While the “Point de vue du Gras” is well known, the importance of the material—and the place it came from—is often overlooked. Niépce was already familiar with asphalt through his earlier work on the Pyréolophore.
Jean-Louis Marignier has emphasized that in many letters, the way Nicéphore writes makes it clear he never actually experimented with lithography.
The Niépce Correspondence [https://niepce-correspondance-et-papiers.com/livre/P4/] is an essential resource.
Maison Niépce provides direct online access [https://niepce-correspondance-et-papiers.com/livre/P4/] to the original French texts, allowing you to search by keyword. Try searching for terms such as “Chabeaussière,” “Seissel” or “Seyssel,” “pierre,” and “lithographie.”
In fact, it was his son Isidore who introduced confusion. Nicéphore was interested in applying engraving to stone—but there isn’t really a name for this. Engraving limestone with acid or a burin is extremely rare, and no artist pursued it as a practice. By contrast, everyone was interested in the ease of lithography.
You can access the correspondence by clicking on any image in this article or by clicking here [https://niepce-correspondance-et-papiers.com/livre/P4/].
Isidore was often absent from his father’s experiments—absent as a young soldier, absent as a newlywed, absent as a young father. He seems generally confused, and we now understand the role played by the Russian academician Hamel in helping him piece things together, whereas Daguerre, it seems, did everything to unsettle him. When historians, in 1867, tried to reconstruct the story, Isidore’s memory was still just as confused—if not more so—than in 1841, when he wrote his pamphlet against Daguerre.
Let’s close with a special postcard dedicated to Nicéphore, created for the Misteri della Fotografia series!
Note for collectors: the first printing of postcard JNN-5 bears an erroneous caption, as it follows the common opinion that Niépce was interested in limestone and visited the Seyssel quarries. This will be corrected in the next printing, but a few rare copies with the mistake are already in circulation.
JNN-5. Limestone quarry near Chalon, 1816
The new royalist administration of the Restoration asked Nicéphore for help and entrusted him with a mission: to find stones suitable for lithography.
But beware! These were not the Seyssel quarries (Val de Fier, near the Rhône River)—Nicéphore was interested in other Seyssel mines, specifically the asphalt mines at Pyrimont, 6 km north, while the Val de Fier quarries are 10 km south.
Heliochromy published as a postcard, mixed media on a digital base: collage, engraving, gouache retouching, and manual interventions.
JNN-5. Cava di calcare vicino Chalon, 1816
La nuova amministrazione realista della Restaurazione chiede l’aiuto di Nicéphore e gli affida una missione: trovare pietre adatte alla litografia.
Attenzione ! Non sono le cave di Seyssel (Val de Fer, vicino al fiume Rhone) – Nicéphore si interessa ad altre miniere di Seyssel, quelle di asfalto a Pyrimont, a 6 km al Norte quando le cave di val de Fier sono 10 km al sud.
Nota per i collezionisti: la prima stampa della cartolina JNN-5 riporta una didascalia errata, poiché segue l’opinione comune secondo cui Niépce fosse interessato al calcare e avesse visitato le cave di Seyssel. Questo errore verrà corretto nella prossima stampa, ma alcune rare copie con l’errore sono già in circolazione.
Eliocromia pubblicata come cartolina, procedimento misto su base digitale: collage, incisione, ritocco a gouache e interventi manuali, e fa parte della prima serie I Misteri della Fotografia, dedicata ai miti ed ai precursori
Edizioni Atelier 41, via Fratelli Bandiera, Senigallia
La Fotografia è la più bella delle collezioni …
Senigallia, città della fotografia, ospitera nuovi spazi dedicato alla ricerca e promozione della fotografia.
Atelier 41 si trova 41 via fratelli Bandiera.
Senigallia diventerà la Città delle collezioni.
Any question : fotografia@atelier41.org
Share transmission.plantureux.it/t/d-fb-sulqky-duhrljnjy-m/ Tweet transmission.plantureux.it/t/d-tw-sulqky-duhrljnjy-c/ Share [https://transmission.plantureux.it/t/d-li-sulqky-duhrljnjy-z/] Forward consigneditdisergeplantureux.forwardtomyfriend.com/d-duhrljnjy-3D431DD6-sulqky-l-q
ATELIER 41
Via Fratelli Bandiera 41
60019 Senigallia
Italy
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