What is the oldest picture of a human?
Rachel Newton
Updated on May 15, 2026
Taken in 1838, Louis Daguerre's photograph of a Paris street scene shows a man standing along the Boulevard du Temple getting his shoes shined. It is widely believed to be the earliest extant photograph of human figures.
When was the first photo of mankind born?
Louis Daguerre—the inventor of daguerreotype—shot what is not only the world's oldest photograph of Paris, but also the first photo with humans. The 10-minute long exposure was taken in 1839 in Place de la République and it's just possible to make out two blurry figures in the left-hand corner.How old is the oldest photo?
Taken in 1826 or 1827 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, the world's oldest surviving photograph was captured using a technique Niépce invented called heliography, which produces one-of-a-kind images on metal plates treated with light-sensitive chemicals.Why did nobody smile in old photos?
The Tradition of Not Smiling for Painted PortraitsThis early custom was because wide-mouthed, toothy grins were considered inappropriate for portraiture. Even in other kinds of old paintings, a person's wide smiles were often associated with madness, drunkenness, or otherwise informal, immature behavior.