Mark W. Decker:A History of Early Color Photography

A History of Early Color Photography

Tampa, Florida-based hobbyist Mark W. Decker is interested in the history of color photography.

The first permanent color photograph was captured by Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1861. Maxwell used the tri-color additive method, taking black-and-white photographs using three different cameras, each with a color filter in front of the lens. He created color photographs by overlapping red, green, and blue images.

A History of Early Color Photography

Mark W. Decker explains that, despite the success of Maxwell’s experiment, creating effective color-sensitive film remained a considerable challenge for some time. Autochrome, the first practical color photography process, did not reach the market until 1907. Patented by Auguste and Louis Lumiére, Autochrome ushered in a technological revolution in photography, owing to its use of just one camera instead of three.

A History of Early Color Photography

Autochrome plates enjoyed popularity until the 1930s, when they were replaced by the superior but costly Kodachrome and Agfacolor processes. These technologies were briefly popular until World War II heralded a return to cheaper, simpler black-and-white technology. From the late 1940s onward, however, resurgence in color photography among hobbyists ensued.