Historical Presentation at the Society for Photographic Education Conference (2007, Miami)
In 2024, as the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of the invention of photography by Nicéphore Niépce, it is more essential than ever to highlight the places and figures that laid the foundations of this visual revolution. It is within this commemorative context that a major discovery, long kept confidential, has resurfaced.
In 2007, during the annual conference of the Society for Photographic Education held in Miami (USA), Pierre-Yves Mahé unveiled an exceptional discovery that would make its mark on the history of photography. In front of an audience of specialists and leading figures in the North American photographic world, he revealed the existence of the oldest known photographic laboratory, discovered in France—an announcement made in the United States even before its official release in France.
The Petiot-Groffier Laboratory: A Photographic Treasure
This workshop-laboratory, once owned by J.F. Petiot-Groffier, was discovered near Chalon-sur-Saône. It provides evidence of the earliest photographic experiments at the very beginning of the 19th century.
With the Petiot-Groffier laboratory, all the chemicals and tools used in the darkroom to prepare photosensitive plates and then develop the image after exposure have been unearthed: 450 vials, 500 books, photographic chambers, image-taking, preparation, and development accessories, along with both blank plates and negatives and prints created by Petiot-Groffier.
An exceptional collection that, for the first time, offers a glimpse inside the darkroom of one of the very first photographers in history.
A Presentation Before a Prestigious Audience
The announcement, received with great enthusiasm and curiosity, took place before a distinguished audience that included:
William W. (Bill) DuBois: Professor emeritus and director of the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), photographer specializing in aerial photography, and co-organizer of the RIT Big Shot project.
Dawn Tower DuBois: Architectural photographer, RIT-NTID professor, and co-organizer of photographic workshops in Paris in collaboration with Spéos.
France Scully Osterman: Artist, photography historian, and educator, expert in historical photographic processes, and co-founder of the Scully & Osterman Studio.
Mark Osterman: Historian of photographic processes, former curator at the George Eastman Museum, teacher of early photographic techniques, and co-founder of the Scully & Osterman Studio.
Therese Mulligan: Professor and director of the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences at RIT, photography historian, and exhibition curator.
Nathan Lyons: Photographer, exhibition curator, and American educator, founder of the Visual Studies Workshop, an influential figure in documentary photography and photographic publishing.
Joan Lyons: American artist known for her work in photography, print arts, and artist books, founder of the Visual Studies Workshop Press.
Jerry Uelsmann: American photographer renowned for his surreal photomontages created in the darkroom, professor at the University of Florida.
Nancy M. Stuart: Portrait photographer, educator, and administrator, former dean of the Hartford Art School, former provost at the Cleveland Institute of Art, and former associate dean at RIT.
Wayne Connelly: Director and co-founder of Innova Art Ltd, a company specializing in high-quality art and photography papers.
Michael Ramos-Gonzalez: Co-owner and director of Innova Art Ltd, expert in art and photography paper production and distribution.
Hannah Frieser: Curator, writer, and artist, former executive director of the Center for Photography at Woodstock, currently director of programs and grants at CNY Arts.
Keith Johnson: American photographer specializing in documentary and commercial photography, with experience in photojournalism and event photography.
Alida Fish: Photographer known for her still lifes using alternative photographic processes, creating mythical tableaux of flora and curiosities.
Lou Marcus: Photography professor at the School of Art & Art History at the University of South Florida.
J. Tomas Lopez: American photographer and educator, art professor and department chair at the University of Miami.
Jeanne Pearce: Photography professor at the University of the Arts (UArts), specializing in photographic arts education.
Maggie Taylor: American artist known for her surreal digital photomontages, using scanned images and digital collage techniques.
Ken White: Professor at the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences at RIT, specializing in photography education.
Joann Brennan: Professor at the University of Colorado in Denver, photographer focusing on the relationship between humans and nature, exploring intersections between art and science.
A Memorable Presentation
Pierre-Yves Mahé’s presentation was a highlight of the conference.
Since then, this workshop-laboratory has been preserved at the Maison Niépce in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes.
This commemorative context offers an ideal opportunity to fully promote this discovery, share it with the public, and reaffirm the historical significance of the Chalon-sur-Saône region in the global history of photography.
Photo Credits
Harris Fogel, photographer, photography historian, exhibition curator, and American journalist. He was an associate professor of photography at the University of the Arts (UArts) in Philadelphia, where he directed and curated the Sol Mednick Gallery and Gallery 1401. He is also a founding member of the Atomic Photographers Guild, an international collective documenting the nuclear age.
