Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The First Sunset in Colour

First Sunset by Adolf Miethe
This is possibly the first sunset photographed in colour! It was taken by Adolf Miethe in 1903. Adolf Miethe was an important figure in early photography, co- inventing the magnesium flash and the first colour camera, that combined 3 negative plates to make the final print.The same camera that was used by Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky to photograph 19th century Russia.

The original negatives
The 3 original negatives are being auctioned in Germany on the 25th of this month with a starting bid of 100 euros. I love this photo and could look at it for hours. I wonder what the final auction price will be?

1 comment:

  1. So interesting, these 3-negative color photos. I'm glad you've shown us all the pieces. I see each negative here has its own, distinct flaw. So of course there they all are together in the finished photograph, and in their respective colors.

    The negatives themselves are gorgeous, very absorbing. That print is a charmer. Instead of being overproduced, it feels real. It calls to mind the memory of being on the beach and in the elements all day, having a shower, then returning to the sand in the evening. Also of the view I've seen with my head resting against the window of a train.

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