Cameras, Optics & Photography
Photography is the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy, especially light on a sensitive surface. Although pinhole cameras had been in use since the 5th century BC, the first permanent photograph was not produced until 1826 when the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce used pewter plates and bitumen to render a negative image which was then used to produce a print.
In 1829 Niépce partnered with the French artist and chemist, Louis Daguerre. Though Niépce died in 1833, Daguerre eventually discovered a way of developing photographic plates which could then be made permanent by immersing them in salt. The resulting image was called a "daguerreotype" and the process was announced to the public on January 9, 1839. Later that year, William Fox Talbot announced his calotype. Together, these inventions mark 1839 as the year photography was invented.
Victorians embraced the new invention wholeheartedly
Auctions can be a great way to both research and collect antique cameras, optical instruments and photography. Our Collector's Guide is designed to help you research values and bid on antique cameras, optical instruments and photography in live auctions. Each collection includes images, upcoming lots and price results for lots previously sold at auction. Navigate among the collections below featuring Nikon, Tessina, telescopes and much more!
- Bausch & Lomb
- Binoculars
- Bolex
- Brass Telescopes
- Camera Lucida Cameras
- Canon
- Digital Cameras
- Folding Cameras
- Leica
- Lorgnettes
- Magic Lanterns
- Magnifying Glasses
- Minolta
- Monoculars
- Nikon
- Opera Glasses
- Optometers
- Pentax
- Rollei
- Sextants
- Spyglasses
- Tessina
- Voigtlander
- Yashica
- Zeiss Ikon
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