Niepca, Nicephore (1765-1833) was the clever French inventor and innovator who is generally credited with devising photography. In 1807 he invented an internal combustion engine. In 1813 he became a lithographer and in 1816 he researched photography.
When he lost his artist, he tried in 1822 to copy pictures onto lithography stones using light. He employed tar-like bitumen of Judea and oil of lavender. In 1826 he adapted the process to pewter. He was able to copy engravings onto glass and zinc as well as stone. The process was called heliographs because the sun exposed the plate for 8 to 10 hours. During the winter of 1826-1827, he made a famous photograph of a view from his window with an
8 hour exposure. It was the first photograph ever made. He was not able to make his process practical before his death, but his work formed the basis for Louis Daguerre's (1789-1851) developments.
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