8 Different “First” Photos Throughout the History of Photography

At this point in human history, some people might argue that we’ve seen everything. However, there always has to be a first time for everything. Today, we’re diving into cool and interesting “history firsts.” We’re talking about incredible firsts like the first underwater portrait and the first American spacewalk. These remarkable feats of human invention and curiosity are worth remembering. It’s amazing to reflect upon historical firsts and appreciate how far we’ve come. Who knows what historical firsts are in store for our future?

#1: The First Underwater Photograph

The daguerreotype was introduced to the world in August 1839. This invention changed the world forever and eventually led to modern-day photography. But when was the first underwater photograph taken? That honor goes to Louis Marie-Auguste Boutan. Boutan took this underwater photograph of biologist Emil Racoviță in the South of France.

This underwater photograph was taken around 1899 using a specially-made camera. Through much trial and error, Boutan developed a water-tight iron box that housed a regular camera with a special lens. This photograph is the result of many previous failures. Taking a clear photo underwater was a major challenge because of the constant motion and small amount of light. In fact, William Thompson tried it in 1856 but couldn’t get a clear image.

We take X-rays for granted these days, but its invention was a big deal back in 1895. Scientist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen changed physics and medicine forever with his revolutionary discovery. This image is one of the earliest experimental X-ray images produced by Roentgen. The image looks creepy, but it’s actually just an X-ray of Roentgen’s wife’s hand.

His wife, Bertha, acted as a guinea pig for his X-ray experiments. Her hand was the subject of many early X-ray images. As you can see in this 1895 image, her bones are clearly visible. That dark circle around one of the fingers? That’s just a ring she was wearing at the time. These early X-ray images were used as proof of Roentgen’s discovery, allowing this new technology to be quickly adopted in the medical community.

The moon has always fascinated humans. The invention of photography allowed us to satisfy our natural curiosity about Earth’s natural satellite. Curious photographers naturally tried to capture images of the moon from the very beginning of this new technology. The official “first” photo of the moon can be attributed to several people.

Inventor Nicéphore Niépce is credited with taking the first-ever photograph in 1826 or 1827. About ten years later, the daguerreotype was invented. Inventor Louis Daguerre captured a rudimentary image of the crescent moon. However, chemist John William Draper is credited with taking the very first photo of the full moon in 1840.

It’s pretty incredible that we have an image of the first powered flight in history. Most of us know that the Wright brothers invented mand-made flight, but it’s a lesser-known fact that we have a photograph of the moment. This image of Kitty Hawk was taken on December 17, 1903, at 10:35 am.

Orville and Wilbur Wright photographed every one of their flight experiments. Their attention to detail is why we have this special image. It was taken as an observation image to study later. Although the plane isn’t very far off the ground, it still marks a milestone moment of humans propelling themselves above the Earth’s surface. Pretty amazing!

This photograph is extremely unsettling the longer you look at it. However, it’s a historically significant image because it shows the first American-made robot. This unsettling invention has been dubbed “The Steam Man.” It was invented by Zadoc P. Dederick in 1868 and used steam power to operate. Mr. Steam Man is considered by many to be the first American-made robot.

While The Seam Man isn’t a robot by modern standards, it was groundbreaking at the time. This steam-powered invention operated through a series of levers and cranks to pull a cart. Dederick patented his invention, but it never took off as a widespread product. Maybe it was the fact that the human-like design was a bit unsettling. Oh well.

The Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union was a tense time. It was also a time of many innovative inventions and space-related firsts. June 3, 1965, marks the very first American spacewalk. NASA astronaut Ed White exited the Gemini space capsule and hung out in space for about 20 minutes.

The spacewalk was part of a four-day space mission that included photographing Earth and researching space navigation. Ed White floated in space attached to a 23-foot tether for only 20 minutes, but he technically traveled 6,500 miles due to the speed at which Gemini IV was circling Earth. White didn’t want the exhilarating moment to end. Before heading back into the spacecraft, he said, “I’m coming back in, and it’s the saddest moment of my life.”

We all know what world leaders look like these days, thanks to the widespread use of photography. Some might even argue that we see too many images of current and former U.S. presidents. That wasn’t always the case. When the daguerreotype was invented in the late 1830s, it was a rare occurrence to have your portrait taken. That’s why this early photo of President Abraham Lincoln is so special.

This photograph is the earliest-known image of Abraham Lincoln. Historians estimate the photo was taken around 1846 when Lincoln was in his late 30s. This portrait was taken decades before Lincoln became president. He appears so young compared to later portraits. This daguerreotype image was discovered and published in McClure’s magazine three decades after his death, causing quite a stir in the U.S. at the time.

Around the time that the future President Lincoln was sitting for his 1846 portrait, another U.S. president was making history. President John Quincy Adams has the honor of being the first known U.S. President to have his photograph taken. This portrait was taken around 1843, many years after President Adams’ tenure. However, it’s the oldest-known portrait of a U.S. President, past or present.

In March 1843, former President Adams sat for a portrait session at a studio called Haas’ Washington, D.C. The daguerreotype photograph was a new technology at the time, so this portrait is extremely significant. John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams, making him the last president with a direct tie to the Founding Fathers, according to Portrait Gallery Director  Kim Sajet. It’s pretty amazing to see a real-life image of someone with direct ties to early United States history.