The advent of 35mm photography largely simplified the picture-taking process, and cameras become far more affordable and accessible. Before this, however, the process was much slower, more intricate, and greater technical knowledge was necessary to get the result. The history of photography, both as an art form and a technical process, is, in a word, fascinating.
Thankfully, the George Eastman House has put together a beautiful series of videos about photographic processes well before the advent of 35mm photography. The 12-chapter series explores the Daguerreotype, Talbot’s processes, the cyanotype, the collodion, albumen printing, platinum printing, pigment processes, the Woodburytype, the gelatin silver process, color photography and digital photography. Each episode is around five minutes long for easy viewing.
Take a dive with the first video embedded below.
Get rid of the ads!
Did you enjoy reading this article as much as we enjoyed writing it? There's a way to support us and our reporting, getting ad-free navigation and more as a bonus. Subscribe to us for less than a coffee per month —just $3.99— or take advantage of our yearly subscription with a hefty discount for only $25.- An ad-free experience
- A free mystery box for Lightroom or Capture One
- All the books in our store
- 20% discount on Capture One
- 30% discount on Imalume Photo Theft Protection
- 20% off Herbs and Kettle Tea Company.