In 1838, Louis Daguerre captured what is widely considered the first photograph to depict human beings on the Boulevard du Temple in Paris. The image features a shoeshine boy and his client, two individuals who remained still long enough to be recorded by Daguerre’s early photographic process, which required exposure times of up to ten minutes. While the names of the subjects were never recorded, the image became a foundational milestone in the history of photography. For decades, the exact location of the shot remained a mystery, complicated by the fact that much of the surrounding neighborhood was demolished in the mid-1800s during Baron Haussmann’s urban renovations.
This image provides a visual representation of the historical 1838 daguerreotype described in the first paragraph.
A team of researchers, including producer Maximilien Van Aertryck, spent eighteen months attempting to triangulate the precise spot of the photograph. The investigation involved analyzing archival research, paintings, real-estate registers, and topographical maps to reconstruct the pre-photographic environment. Because Daguerre’s workshop and a theater he owned were destroyed by fire in 1839, the team had to rely on surviving structures from that era. They eventually collaborated with an architectural firm that used 3-D scans of the square to narrow the location down to a few feet. The team ultimately marked the spot with a red 'X' on a paving stone to signify the point of origin.
On October 15th, the City of Paris will unveil a plaque at the site to commemorate the shoeshine pair. The project highlights the 'unforeseen' nature of early photography, where the subjects were essentially the first accidental 'photobombers' of the medium. While the original physical plate was severely damaged during World War II, the new plaque serves as a permanent marker for the site where the world's first photographic portrait sitters were captured. The initiative aims to celebrate the starting point of the photographic era, acknowledging the anonymous individuals who became the first subjects of the medium's global conquest.