History,CuriositiesNOV 6, 2025

43 Of The Oldest Surviving Pics That Give Us A Glimpse Into The Past

Eligijus Sinkunas, Louise Pieterse, Robyn Smith and Ieva P.

Photography has come a long way since the first ever photo saw the light of day. We've gone from painstakingly exposing metal plates for hours at a time, to snapping high-definition selfies in the blink of an eye. Some might even argue that much of the true magic of photography has been lost in the digital era.

Long before social media, Instagram and iPhoneography, people risked chemicals, smoke, and other dangers in a bid to trap light and time on a surface. Their work opened the door to photography as both an art and a science. Miraculously, some of the first ever photographs taken hundreds of years ago have stood the test of time.

The world's first photographs weren't just images. Each one captures not only a subject, but also the spirit of human innovation. They tell the story of how people learned to "draw with light." They speak to trial and error, scientific curiosity and the sheer wonder that once surrounded this new art form.

Bored Panda has put together a list of the most incredible oldest surviving photographs for you to admire instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. From the world's very first image ever taken, to the first photo captured under water, each provides a fragile portal to another time and place.

#1 View From The Window At Le Gras By Nicéphore Niépce, The Oldest Surviving Camera Photograph

Early black and white photograph showing grainy textures of rooftops and a distant horizon from the time photography was new.

The birth of photography is this grainy, abstract-looking image, which is the world's oldest surviving photograph. Taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce around 1826, this "heliograph" required an exposure time so incredibly long (at least eight hours and possibly several days) that the sun had time to illuminate buildings on both sides of the courtyard. The result is this ghostly but monumental view from the window of his estate at Le Gras, the very first permanent image ever captured with a camera.

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce

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Joseph Nicephore Niepce is credited with taking the world's oldest surviving photograph around 1826. To many, the blurry “View From the Window at Le Gras” might not seem like anything to write home about. It's literally the view from one of the upstairs windows of Niepce's estate in Burgundy, France. It depicts rooftops, a tree and the surrounding landscape.

But the magic of the image doesn't lie in what was captured. It tells the story of decades of hard and painstaking work by Niépce and those who came before him. He had used a camera obscura and a bitumen-coated pewter plate, which he exposed for several hours.

#2 Photograph Of Lightning In Philadelphia, 1882

Black and white photo showing early photography capturing lightning striking over dark tree silhouettes at night.

On September 2, 1882, photographer William N. Jennings achieved a scientific and artistic first by successfully capturing a bolt of lightning on camera. This Philadelphia photograph was a major breakthrough, as it allowed the fleeting, branching structure of an electrical discharge to be seen and studied for the very first time.

William Nicholson Jennings

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#3 Robert Cornelius's Self Portrait, 1839

Early black and white portrait of a man with sideburns, showcasing rare photos from the time when photography was new.

The world's first "selfie" was taken in 1839 by a Philadelphia lamp manufacturer and amateur chemist named Robert Cornelius. To capture this image, Cornelius had to set up his camera at the back of his family's store, uncover the lens, and then run into the frame. He then had to sit perfectly still for well over a minute before running back to cover the lens again.

Robert Cornelius

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The groundwork was being laid long before Niepce's breakthrough. In 1685, a guy by the name of Johann Zahn invented the portable camera obscura but he didn't quite figure out how to use it to produce a print.

That award goes to Niepce who, after much trial and error, managed to manipulate the camera obscura to expose pewter plates coated with bitumen of Judea. It's believed to have taken the French inventor and photographer at least eight hours to produce the historical “View From the Window at Le Gras.”

#4 Niagara Falls From The Canadian Side, 1858 - Earliest Known Image Of Niagara Falls

Early photography showing a winter scene with a frozen waterfall and snow-covered landscape from a historic photograph.

In an era when long exposure times turned any moving object into a ghostly blur, capturing the sheer power of Niagara Falls was a monumental photographic challenge. This 1858 view from the Canadian side is a landmark image precisely because it was one of the first successful attempts to photograph such rapid, intense motion. The ability to freeze the cascading water, even partially, marked a significant technical step forward for the young art form.

Platt D. Babbitt

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#5 Solar Eclipse On New Year's Day, 1889

Solar eclipse captured in one of the earliest photography photos that survived from the new phenomenon era.

An expedition from Washington University celebrated New Year's Day in 1889 by photographing a total solar eclipse from Norman, California. The resulting image is actually a skillfully made composite, created by taking several pictures at varying exposures. By overlaying these different photographic plates, the team was able to capture the full, stunning detail of the sun's corona in a single print.

H. S. Pritchett

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#6 The First Photo Taken Under Water, 1899

Underwater diver in vintage diving suit holding an object, one of the rare photos from early photography era.

Taking a photograph underwater in the 19th century was an immense technical ordeal, first successfully accomplished by French biologist Louis Boutan in 1899. To achieve this, he not only had to design a bulky, custom-built waterproof housing for his camera, but he also had to invent the first underwater flash. This dangerous contraption involved an alcohol lamp and magnesium powder, creating a controlled explosion to illuminate the murky depths of the Mediterranean Sea long enough for the slow exposure.

DeafLodge567

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In case you're wondering, the term “camera obscura” means “dark chamber” in Latin. According to How Stuff Works, it refers to a device or optical phenomenon that artists, photographers and more have used for centuries to project an external image onto a surface within a darkened room or box.

"The camera obscura works on the principle of light rays traveling in straight lines. When light passes through a small hole or aperture in a darkened space, an inverted and reversed image of the scene outside forms on the opposite surface," explains the site.

It was originally an entire room with small holes in one wall. Thankfully, it later evolved into portable cameras obscurae. "The camera obscura greatly influenced the development of photography," adds the site. "It served as a precursor to the camera and provided valuable insights into the behavior of light."

#7 Dorothy Catherine Draper, 1839

Early portrait photograph of a woman in vintage dress and bonnet from the time when photography was new.

This striking portrait of Dorothy Catherine Draper is not only the earliest surviving photograph of a woman, but it is also one of the oldest and clearest human portraits in existence. Taken by her brother, the scientist John William Draper, in either late 1839 or early 1840, the daguerreotype is a remarkable technical achievement for its time. To achieve such a well-defined image, Dorothy had to sit perfectly still for a 65-second exposure, her face powdered with flour to enhance the contrast.

John William Draper

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#8 Tornado 1884

Black and white historic photo capturing a rare natural event from early photography, showcasing photography as a new phenomenon.

On August 28, 1884, near Howard, South Dakota, a local farmer and amateur photographer captured this incredible image, which is widely considered to be the oldest known photograph of a tornado. In an era of cumbersome and slow photographic equipment, managing to set up and successfully take a picture of such a fleeting and dangerous weather event was an astonishing and rare achievement.

F. N. Robinson

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#9 The First Photograph From Mars (1976)

Black and white vintage photo showing rocky terrain and partial machinery from early photography era.

On July 20, 1976, humanity got its first-ever look from the surface of another planet. This historic image was transmitted by the Viking 1 lander just moments after it successfully touched down on Mars. The photograph, showing the spacecraft's own footpad resting on the reddish, alien terrain, marked a monumental achievement for NASA and provided a stunning, firsthand view of the Red Planet.

NASA

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In 1838, just over ten years after Niepce took the first ever photograph, Louis Daguerre blessed the world with the first photo of a human being. Unlike “View from the Window at Le Gras,” Daguerre managed to develop the photo within 4-5 minutes. "Boulevard du Temple" depicts a street view from a window during the morning. It captures buildings, trees, and a couple of people.

"It’s a crucial piece in the history of early photography and a testament to how far the technology had come just a decade after the first photo by Niépce," notes photography site Capture.com.

#10 The First Photo Of The Moon, 1840

Abstract black and white image showing an experimental photo from the early days of photography.

The first person to successfully photograph the moon did so from a rooftop in New York City. On March 26, 1840, scientist John W. Draper pointed his camera skyward from the observatory at New York University and captured the lunar surface using the daguerreotype process. The resulting image, while blurry and marked by time, holds the incredible distinction of being the very first astronomical photograph ever taken.

John William Draper

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#11 Image Of The Sun, 1845, Paris, France

Black and white vintage photo showing early photography capturing the sun with visible sunspots and grainy texture.

On April 2, 1845, French physicists Hippolyte Fizeau and Léon Foucault pointed a camera at our star and, using a then-blazing 1/60th of a second exposure, created the first detailed photograph of the sun. The resulting daguerreotype was a monumental achievement in scientific imaging, as it provided the first-ever photographic proof of sunspots on the solar surface.

François Arago

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#12 View Of Agen, France, 1877

Early photography landscape showing a historic town with a church and river, capturing a scene from the time photography was new.

French inventor Louis Ducos du Hauron was a crucial pioneer in the long quest for color photography, and this 1877 landscape is one of his earliest surviving works. Taken in his native region, the view of Agen, France, prominently features the Saint-Caprais Cathedral and provides a rare, almost painterly glimpse of the 19th-century world in color.

Louis Ducos du Hauron

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If you're wondering who laid the groundwork for the selfies of today, you can thank a guy called Robert Cornelius. In 1839, he took the first self-portrait using the daguerreotype process.

"He took the selfie outside his family’s Philadelphia gas lighting business," explains How Stuff Works. "The photo is a part of the Library of Congress’ Marian S. Carson collection."

And the rest, as they say, is history!

#13 Boulevard Du Temple In Paris, 1838

Black and white historic photo showing a city street scene captured during early photography era.

Taken by Louis Daguerre himself in 1838, this view of a Paris street is famous for accidentally capturing the very first photograph of a human being. Because the daguerreotype process required an extremely long exposure time of around 10 minutes, all the bustling traffic of the Boulevard du Temple became an invisible blur. However, one man who stopped for a shoe shine remained still long enough to be etched into the image, a lone, ghostly figure who unknowingly became the first person ever photographed.

Louis Daguerre

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#14 Franco-Prussian War, Battle Of Sedan, 1 September 1870

Vintage black and white photo showing a battlefield scene from the early days of photography as a new phenomenon.

Unlike earlier war photographs that focused on portraits or the aftermath, this 1870 image from the Battle of Sedan is a groundbreaking exception, believed to be the first ever taken during an active battle. From a precarious position among the French defenders, the photographer captured the chilling sight of a line of Prussian troops advancing directly toward them. This shot marked a pivotal moment, moving war photography from the relative safety of the camp into the heart of the conflict itself.

unknown

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#15 Bird's Eye View Of Boston, 1860

Aerial view of an old city captured in one of the earliest photos that survived from the time photography was new.

Titled "Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It," this image holds the title of the world's first successful aerial photograph. Taken in 1860 by photographer James Wallace Black from a hot-air balloon tethered 2,000 feet above the city, it provided a stunning and completely unprecedented bird's-eye view of the Boston landscape.

James Wallace Black

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#16 The Great Chartist Meeting On Kennington Common, 1848

Large crowd gathered outdoors in an early photo that survived from the time when photography was new.

On April 10, 1848, William Edward Kilburn captured this sprawling view of the Great Chartist Meeting on Kennington Common in London. The photograph is significant as it's one of the earliest images of a large-scale political protest. The Chartist movement was a working-class campaign for political reform, and this photograph documents one of their most famous rallies, offering a rare visual record of a moment when thousands gathered to demand the right to vote.

William Edward Kilburn

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#17 Portrait Of Nariakira Shimazu, 1857, First Image Taken By A Japanese Person

Faded and scratched early photograph of a man, showing one of the first photos from when photography was new.

The journey of Japan's earliest surviving photograph is as remarkable as the image itself. This 1857 daguerreotype portrait of Lord Shimazu Nariakira was so highly esteemed that it was treated as an object of worship after his passing. The precious image then vanished entirely, disappearing for a full century before its chance rediscovery in a warehouse in 1975.

Ichiki Shirō, https://topmuseum.jp/

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#18 Temple Of Zeus, 1842

Ancient temple ruins captured in one of the early photographs from the time when photography was new.

Among the earliest surviving photographs taken in Greece, this 1842 image captures the colossal ruins of the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens. From the very beginning, ancient monuments were a favorite subject for photographers, who saw the new medium as the perfect tool to document the world's historical treasures. This photograph is now a valuable record in its own right, showing the state of the famous temple and its surrounding landscape nearly two centuries ago.

Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey

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#19 First View Of Earth From Moon, 1966

Black and white vintage photo of the moon's surface with Earth rising in the background, early photography example.

On August 23, 1966, humanity received a breathtaking new perspective on its place in the cosmos. Transmitted by the Lunar Orbiter I spacecraft as it swung around the Moon, this black-and-white image was the very first view of Earth captured from the lunar vicinity. The photograph, showing a crescent Earth hanging in the blackness of space above the barren lunar surface, was a stunning technical feat that forever changed how we see our home planet.

NASA

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#20 One Of The First Images Of Jerusalem's Holy Sites -Tomb Of St. James, Valley Of Josaphat, 1854-1856

Ancient rock-cut structure captured in one of the early photography photos that survived from when photography was new.

French photographer Auguste Salzmann undertook a mission to Jerusalem with the specific goal of creating a photographic record of its ancient ruins. In 1854, he captured this detailed view of the Tomb of St. James in the Valley of Josaphat. The image was then published two years later as a salted paper print, showcasing how photography was becoming a vital new tool for archaeological documentation.

Auguste Salzmann

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Poll Question

What fascinates you most about early photography as described in the article?

Eligijus SinkunasBoredPanda Staff

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