The first camera, known as the camera obscura, was invented in 1685 by the Italian scientist Giovanni Battista della Porta. The camera obscura was a box with a small hole on one side. Light from outside would enter the hole and project an inverted image of the scene on the opposite wall of the box.
1839: First Photograph
In 1839, the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first photograph using a camera obscura and a light-sensitive material made of bitumen. The image was of a courtyard and took eight hours to expose.
1884: First Kodak Camera
In 1884, the American inventor George Eastman introduced the first Kodak camera. The Kodak camera was compact and easy to use, making it the first camera accessible to the general public. The camera came with a roll of film, and users could take pictures by simply winding the film and pressing a button.
1895: First Motion Picture
In 1895, the Lumière brothers, two French inventors, created the first motion picture using a camera called a cinematograph. The cinematograph was a camera and projector, allowing the brothers to film and show moving images. The first motion picture was called "Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory" and consisted of 50 seconds of footage.