13 History of Photography

History of Photography written by Barry Holden

Many years ago, there were no photographs. If people wanted a picture of someone or something special, they would pay an artist to make a painting. box camera The first cameras were invented about two hundred years ago. There were box cameras and folding cameras that could only take one photo at a time.

People would pay a photographer to take photos of their families. The cameras were big and heavy. The photographer had to put a large, black cloth, like a tent, over his head and camera to keep out the light. photographer

After a long time, smaller cameras were made. They had rolls of film that took many photos. small camera People got these new cameras to take their own photos. They could be printed, but only in black and white.

Movie cameras with black and white film were invented about a hundred years ago. These first films had no sound, so they were called "silent movies". movies People would pay to watch them at a theatre, with a piano playing music. These movies were very jumpy, so people called them "the Flicks".

Much later, sound was put on the films. Then they were called "talking pictures" or "the talkies". There were lots of theatres where people could watch these movies. theatre The next good thing was colour film, which made the pictures look more real.