GoKawiilFilmmakers trace exact spot of 1838 Daguerre photo on Boulevard du Temple
Producer Maximilien Van Aertryck and colleagues Axel Danielson and Kalle Boman set out to locate the precise location of Louis Daguerre's 1838 daguerreotype of the Boulevard du Temple, widely regarded as the first photograph to show human beings. The image depicts an unnamed bootblack and his customer, the only figures still enough to register during the camera's long exposure. Using online research and site visits, the group began identifying where on the Paris boulevard the historic image was captured.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The project highlights how early photography's long exposure times determined who and what got recorded, meaning the first human photographic subjects were preserved by chance rather than intent. Pinpointing the site could offer historians and photography enthusiasts a tangible link between a foundational technological moment and present-day Paris, though the findings appear to rest on amateur sleuthing rather than formal archival verification.
- Daguerre's 1838 Boulevard du Temple image is considered the first photograph to depict human beings.
- The subjects, a bootblack and his customer, were captured only because they stood still during a long exposure.
- Filmmaker Maximilien Van Aertryck and colleagues are investigating the exact modern-day location of the historic photo.
Daguerre and the Invention of Photography book — This article traces photography back to its very first captured human image—a perfect excuse to dive deeper into the origin story of the medium. A well-researched book on Daguerre and the dawn of photography lets you explore the technical and cultural leap that led from a ten-minute exposure to the instant snapshots we take for granted today.
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Published there as: “The First Candid”
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