In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business, but he was not a good artist. So he invented a very simple camera. He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his yard. That was the first photograph.
The next important date in the history of photography was 1837. That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his studio. He used a new kind of camera and a different process. This kind of photograph was called a daguerreotype. Soon, other people began to use Daguerre’s process. In about 1840, the process was improved. Then photographers could take pictures of people and moving things.
Matthew Brady was one well-known American photographer. He took many portraits of famous people. The portraits were unusual because they were very life-like and full of personality.
In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography. Photographers could buy film ready-made in rolls. And finally, the invention of the small handheld camera made photography less expensive. With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer. People began to use cameras just for fun. They took pictures of their families, friends and favorite places. They called these pictures “snapshots”.
Photography also turned into a form of art by the end the 19th century, some photographs were not just copies of the real world. They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.
小题1:Matthew Brady was well-known for _______.
A．inventing daguerreotype
B．taking pictures of French cities
C．taking portraits of famous people
D．inventing the first camera小题2:The new inventions in photography made it possible for ________.
A．Brady to take pictures of famous people
B．anyone to be a photographer
C．only rich people to take pictures
D．people to use daguerreotype小题3:Photography can also be an art form because artists can _________.
A．take pictures to show the real world
B．make documentaries
C．show ideas and feelings in pictures
D．copy old pictures
