Hippolyte Bayard and the Invention of Photography

Hippolyte Bayard (French, 1801-1887) was often characterized as an underdog in the early history of photography. His contributions to the medium were frequently overshadowed by those of Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (French, 1781-1851) and William Henry Fox Talbot (English, 1800-1877), who enjoyed superior funding and connections. Nevertheless, Bayard invented and enhanced several photographic processes including, most significantly, the direct positive on paper, and he was the first to display photographs in an art exhibition. After a long career as a technical innovator, an artistic trailblazer, and a teacher of the next generation of photographers, Bayard was ultimately recognized for his essential role in the invention of photography and decorated as a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. This volume, the first book in English about Bayard, presents some of the world's earliest, rarest, and most fragile photographs-many published here for the first time-along with new perspectives on this important figure in the development of photography.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1606068938
• ISBN13: 9781606068939
• Release Date: May 2024
• Publisher: J. Paul Getty Museum
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 3.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 9.1" x 11.3"