Background
He was first employed in the department of inland revenue and then became known as a theatrical scene painter. He assisted Pierre PrévostPrevost in the painting of panoramic views and in 1822 designed the diorama, a new type of pictorial exhibition in which the panoramic views were shown in succession and illuminated by special lighting effects. He also constructed a diorama in London, but in 1839 the building housing it was burned down. Shortly thereafter he made known the invention to which his name has become attached. He had for a long time been experimenting on a method for simplifying the reproduction of the images in his diorama, and together with NicéphoreNicephore Niepce, who had been working along similar lines since 1814, he developed a process for obtaining permanent pictures by the action of sunlight. In 1833 Niepce died and Daguerre abandoned their original process, but in 1839 he announced the invention of a new process, generally known as the daguerreotype. This involved the exposure to light of a plate sensitized by a coating of iodide of silver, the image on which was then made permanent by being subjected to the action of mercury vapor and hyposulphite of soda. Daguerre's discovery was hailed at a meeting of the Academy of Science as of the greatest importance, and Daguerre himself was awarded the Legion of Honor and given a pension of 6,000 francs by the French government. Daguerre's process was published by the Academy in the same year. He died at Petit-Brie-sur-Marne on July 12, 1851.
