First underwater 'selfie' taken in the 19th century

In 1856 William Thompson, together with a friend, built a metal housing for a camera which he submerged in Waymouth Bay. It was in its waters that the first photographs of the underwater world were taken. Without diving and without picking the object to be photographed, it was nevertheless confirmed to be possible. The camera, placed in a metal box that served as the first underwater housing, was operated from the surface using a cable. The photographs, in turn, were taken on 4×5″ glass plates.

The result? Well… Mr Thompson and Mr Kenyon must have been looking for imaginative people among their contemporaries who could see anything and figure out the rest. Unfortunately this is what happens when the location for photographic experiments is the waters near Dorset and the mentioned Waymouth Bay. It is worth noting, however, that the attempt took place just 20 years after the first ever photograph was taken and 40 years before the first attempt was made at diving.

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In 1893, Louis Boutan created a simple and crude housing for a small camera that was used while diving in a so-called “classic”, a diving suit powered by air from the surface. Boutan quickly realised the limitations of underwater photography as depth increased and natural light decreased. This is why he made pioneering attempts to introduce artificial lighting in subsequent attempts.

The result of his collaboration with Arago Laboratories in Banyuls, France, was the creation of a device allowing to create a flash underwater, similar in operation to the flash we know today. The difficulties encountered by Boutan did not prevent him from becoming the author of the first underwater “selfi” in history. In addition, long before the term “selfi” came into existence. In 1899, using a camera mounted in a housing which he made together with his brother Auguste, he took the picture which you can find at the very top of our text.

It should be remembered that men had to contend with many of the limitations of the time. At the end of the 19th century, technology in the field of photography, despite its thriving development and the interest of many people, was still barely in its infancy and was only moving towards slightly more advanced designs and reagents.

However, there is a way around everything. The Boutan brothers used a flash bubble to shorten the extremely long exposure time, which could last up to 30 minutes. This was a bubble filled with oxygen and magnesium, which was burned to release an electrical impulse. This method had various shortcomings that greatly affected the quality of the photographs taken, as well as the safety of the photographer. However, beginnings are usually difficult and, in any case, it was a step forward.

Only with the help of his assistant, Joseph David, did Louis Boutan develop the flash bulb. This was already safe to use and gave better results than its predecessor. Further development of methods and equipment for underwater photography resulted in the publication of the album “La Photographie Sous-Marine” in 1898. It contained a number of underwater photographs and some sketches by Louis Boutan.

Source:bsoup.org