Daguerrre stayed four times at Nicephore Niépce in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes.

The first time in December 1829 for the signature of their patnership contract.How many days did he stay in the Gras ? Niépce made a demonstration of his Judea bitumen process and Daguerre showed his phosphorescent images technique,as related by Isidore :
« On the occasion of the signing of the partnership contract,M.Daguerre came at M.Niépce’s home, then in his country house in the Gras near Châlon-sur -Saone ; the Diorama inventor showed us a little cardboard box holding a yellowish powder that was calcined baryte sulfate : this powder if hit by a light ray,would keep for a while a phosphorescent property that self destructed gradually and ended up by vanishing completely in the dark. It was just what we call Bologna phosphorus.»


Signature of the contrat between
Niépce and Daguerre

In May 1830, Daguerre wrote to Niépce : “If you promise to treat me without fuss and ceremony, I would be delighted to spend a week with you ; this way I will avoid you the burden of travelling that is a pleasure for me, and I shall bring you a camera and anything that could be useful to our operations.“

Daguerre went back to Saint-Loup-de-Varennes in June 1830. Niépce tells in a letter to his cousin Curley,in August 1830 : “M.Daguerre {….} came to spend a fortnight in June. During this half-month, we worked constantly from morning to night ; but even though we obtained important improvements to my processes, we have not yet any result on speed,result that would allow us to make better use of the camera that M.Daguerre brought me. “ Beside the camera obscura, we know that Daguerre also brought Niépce lavender oil distillation residue.

Chocolate wrapper showing Niepce and Daguerre.

The third Daguerre’s stay in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes took place in the summer 1832. It is then that the two men attuned the Physautotype process.


A few months later Daguerre came back to the Gras estate in November 1832. The two partners worked again to improve the physautotype process, dipping the prints produced with the camera obscura into the water drawn from Niépce’s well,before developing the images .