First Photograph Returns to France for 200th Anniversary
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First Photograph Returns to France for 200th Anniversary

SUMMARY

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce's "View from the Window at Le Gras," believed to be the first photograph ever taken, is returning to France for the first time in two centuries. The heliograph, created in 1826 or 1827 with an eight-hour exposure, will be displayed in Chalon-sur-Saône as part of France's 200th-anniversary celebrations for photography. Currently part of the Gernsheim Collection at the Harry Ransom Center in Texas, the image will be exhibited in both the US and France in 2027.

TAKEAWAYS

The first photograph, "View from the Window at Le Gras," is returning to France.

The image was created by Nicéphore Niépce using an eight-hour exposure.

It will be displayed in Chalon-sur-Saône for the 200th anniversary of photography.

The heliograph will be shown in both the US and France in 2027.

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