Heliograph, Oil-treated bitumen Creative Commons - Wikipedia The first successful permanent photograph created by Nicéphore Niépce in 1826, Saint-Loup-de-Varennes. Captured on 20 x 25 cm oil-treated bitumen. Due to the 8-hour exposure, the buildings are illuminated by the sun from both right and left. On 31 July 2005 this image was selected as a picture of the day on Wikipedia and is one of the treasures of photo-history. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin.
