Louis Daguerre - Public domain portrait engraving

Louis Daguerre (1787–1851) was a French artist and inventor best known for his contribution to the development of photography. In 1839, he announced the invention of the daguerreotype, a photographic process that produced highly detailed and realistic images on a silver-plated copper plate. Daguerre's process involved exposing the plate to light for several minutes, then developing it with mercury vapour and fixing it with a salt solution. The resulting image was a unique, mirror-like reflection that captured every detail of the subject. The daguerreotype quickly became popular and was widely used for portraits and landscapes. Daguerre received numerous awards and honours for his invention, including a lifetime pension from the French government. Today, Daguerre is considered one of the pioneers of photography and his name is synonymous with the daguerreotype process. His legacy continues to inspire photographers and artists around the world.