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Unidentified artist
An engraving depicting Professor Charles' experiment, whereby he transferred images onto sensitized paper
1877
Book illustration
Archive.org
LL/105840
Published in: Gaston Tissandier, 1876, A History and Handbook of Photography, (London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low & Searle / New York: Scovill Manufacturing Company), fig. 3, between pp. 10-11
About the year 1780, Professor Charles, the inventor of the hydrogen gas balloon, made the first use of the dark room for attempting to produce rudimentary photographs. He exhibited to the numerous and attentive audience at his course of lectures on natural science a curious, and at that time even wonderful experiment. By means of a strong solar ray, he projected a shadow of the head of one of his pupils on to a sheet of white paper which had previously been soaked in a solution of chloride of silver. Under the influence of the light it was not long in becoming black in the parts exposed, remaining white on that portion of the sheet which had been shaded, and thus giving a faithful silhouette of the person's head in white on a black ground. (Fig. 3.) This sheet of paper, which seemed as though endowed with magical properties, was passed from hand to hand; but soon the light acting on the silhouette till then white, blackened it like the ground, and the profile disappeared little by little as though blotted out with ink.
Professor Charles also reproduced, roughly, it is true, some engravings which he placed on a sensitised paper. The details of this experiment are, however, for the most part wanting in the historical documents relating to his works.
Jacques Alexandre César Charles (November 12, 1746 – April 7, 1823)
(Accessed: 31 October 2020)
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