Time passes. Today becomes yesterday and all we have left are memories which we hope will never fade. Cherished memories of loved ones now departed, of childhood escapades and once in a life time experiences. 

We long to recapture those moments, to rekindle the joy and to gaze once more into the eyes of those we love but to no avail. Time machines exist only in the realms of fantasy, and we are grounded in the present. 

However, we possess captured moments. Images, frozen in time in the form of photographs. Snapshots of significant events and family togetherness help us to hold onto those defining moments in our lives, providing a visual record for us to keep and cherish. 

Modern photography bears little resemblance to its origins which date back to the camera obscura, a darkened chamber with an outside image projected onto a surface. There are references to it by Mozi in ancient Chinese philosophy, but it only gained popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries. At that time, it was not utilised for photography, but as a portable drawing instrument with a lens which could sharpen an image and was primarily used by scientists and artists to aid their work.  

When Joseph Nicephore Niepce developed photographic images on paper lined with silver chrome in 1826, he created what is now recognised as the oldest surviving photograph. Louis Daguerre built on his work, developing a more commercially viable process in 1839. Neither of these inventors would have realised the impact they would have on future generations. Whilst their work would be regarded as an adaptation rather than an invention, they transformed the concept of the camera obscura into something which would become a valued part of everyday life, enabling people to look at moments from their past and providing an insight into the past lives and experiences of others. 

Turning the pages of family albums, I am taken back to my childhood, reawakening fragmented recollections of holidays at Butlins, riding my first tricycle and building sandcastles at Blackpool. I am reminded of my first day at secondary school, feeling grown up and sophisticated in my brand-new blazer, recalling the moment my mother took the photograph as if it was yesterday. 

Looking back further, I see my parents’ youthful faces, captured at a time before I even existed. I look at their expressions, filled with the hopes and dreams of futures they could not yet see which are now a part of history. 

We do not think deeply when asked to “say cheese,” simply accepting the request as a regular part of life. We smile, then return to our activities, not pausing to contemplate the effect of the memory on our future selves or on others who will look at the photograph years later.  

The processes are still evolving. Images are now viewed instantly, in a world of modern mobiles with their integral cameras. Gone are the days when we took the rolls of film to be developed and sighed in disappointment that we had blinked as the button was pressed or beamed in satisfaction at a flattering image. I still recall the excitement of opening the wallet with the photos inside, newly collected by my parents after a family holiday or Christmas festivities. Holding them carefully by the edges to avoid damaging them with fingerprints, I loved to look at each one, allowing it to transport me back to the excitement of the event. Each would be carefully placed in the album, with my mother’s neat handwriting beneath providing record of the date and location. 

I sometimes ponder the concept that the person in a photograph lacked the knowledge of their future. Tiny toddlers who were destined to achieve great things, smiling with ice creams unaware of the discoveries they would make or the lives they would save. Relatives, smiling and happy, blissfully unaware that the photograph being taken would be their last. Images of people and places taken seconds before unforeseen disasters creating images of macabre significance. 

Photographs enhance history books, connect generations, demonstrate progress and provide comfort. They link past and present, allowing us to share a moment long after it has passed. They remind us of the joys, the sadness and the relationships we have experienced on our journey. 

We may not stop to think of the significance of the invention of the camera as photographs are such an integral part of our lives but next time you smile as a picture is taken at a family gathering or when you capture a milestone moment of your child or grandchild’s life, appreciate it. Recognise that without cameras, these moments would pass unrecorded and lost forever. Savour the moment, knowing that in years to come, others will be able to do the same. Have them printed so that they are preserved for the future, not saved from device to device then eventually lost. 

Bibliography 

The Shell Book of Firsts Patrick Robertson (1975)