Dufferin Historical Museum

Carman, Manitoba

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A Photographic Memory: The History of Photography

by Emily Wiebe

 

In 2016, photography hardly seems a notable topic of discussion when photographers, photographs, and phone cameras abound in almost every facet of daily life. A brief glance at any Facebook page could tell you that photography is no longer the spectacle it once was. Though photography is no longer as rare as it once was, photography is more important than ever to our lives. Just take another look at that same Facebook page and the prevalence of pictures will no doubt confirm the fact that photography at every level is alive and well.
But how did the photograph become such an essential must-have for any individual’s mantelpiece, photo album, or Instagram profile? Here, we will explore the history of photography and how it has “developed” over the years.
The year 1826 marks the date of the first successful photograph ever taken. Joseph Nicéphone Niépce is credited with the invention. The photograph depicts the view from the upstairs window of Niépce’s estate in France and was taken on a pewter plate after over eight hours of exposure. By 1839, photography in the form of the daguerreotype process – invented by Louis Jacques Mondé Daguerre – was commercially introduced and took far less exposure time than its earlier kin. These daguerreotypes were incredibly popular as demand for portraits in the middle class grew and photographs became increasingly more accessible and affordable for the average person. Improvements in photography caused a decrease of exposure time from minutes to seconds. New methods of photography invented by George Eastman in 1884 saw the move from metal and glass based photographs to those captured on paper. This made photography more accessible and affordable than ever before. The invention of the Kodak camera by Eastman in 1888 marked the beginning of an era where the everyday person could be a photographer and leave the complicated chemistry of developing the photo to someone else.
Colour photography was first invented in 1848 by Edmond Becquerel – a mere 22 years after the first photograph was taken – but resulting photographs were too light-sensitive for viewing and required hours or days of exposure to provide even the slightest picture. Further improvements on the process saw a wider range of colours and a decreased exposure time. But it took until the 1980s for colour photography to unseat its black and white predecessor as the dominant medium for daily photographic use and has continued as the most popular mode until today.
Although the photographic process that most use in our digital world of 2016 is much different than that of the early 1800s, it owes its existence to its first ancestors of photography. So the next time you take a selfie, remember the 190 years of history behind it.

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Guest’s Comments

“It was so nice to meet you guys and get a chance to see all of your displays. I want to again say how much we appreciated you opening the museum and taking time out of your days for us. We went over to the cemetery and they helped us find the grave sites which was a thrill as well. Thank you again for your hospitality and the gift bag.”
Howard Thomson
Hemenway Family

"Nice to meet you and have a personalized tour of the Museum .... your organization has done a wonderful job of displaying the artifacts and honoring the families in the area. Glad that you were able to use some of the articles that I had available.
The cookbook is really well done. I enjoyed reading and reminiscing - lots of great recipes and 'tidbits'. 
"Big Bouquet" to all involved.

Linda, Morden, MB"

"A Great Museum I visited the Dufferin Historical Museum on Saturday, June 2 for the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.
I have not visited the museum for some time and I was greatly impressed by the changes that have taken place. The people who have been giving their time and expertise to the arrangement and displaying of the many artifacts, as well as the people who have worked with the flowers and plants around the grounds, are to be greatly commended. There is more work and time spent on these jobs than most people realize. The tea was probably a first and in my opinion a good idea. It was overall a great way to celebrate the event. A visit to our museum is certainly a great way to spend an hour or two and well worth it."

Keith Barker, Carman Past Board Member

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Contact

Dufferin Historical Museum
44 Kings Park Road
Carman Manitoba R0G 0J0

Phone:
Museum - 204-745-3597

Trish Aubin – 204-745-7353
Caroll McGill – 204-745-6674
The GPS coordinates:
49° 30.178 N 098° 00.621 W

Admisions

Adult: $5.00
Student: $3.00
Under 5: Free

Memberships:

Single: $10.00
Family: $25.00 (2 adults/2 students)

Hours of Operation

July and August
Tues - Sat 10:00 - 5:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 to 5:00 pm