Overexposed: The History of Photography

That's Chatham in Canada, and not in the UK!

In the not so distant past, the only way to obtain a permanent record of a scene or person was through drawing or painting. That changed quickly in 1839, with the announcement of two distinct photographic processes – the daguerreotype and the calotype. Photography made portraits available to the middle and lower classes who could not afford to pay an artist to produce their likeness in a painting or sketch. For the first time, it allowed a true-to-life version of one’s image to be captured and allowed friends and family to remain connected across great distances.

Overexposed: A History of Photography explores the history of the photographic process from daguerreotypes to digital. The exhibit runs till February 20, 2011 in the mezzanine level of the Chatham-Kent Museum. Admission is free, donations gratefully accepted. The Chatham-Kent Museum is open daily from 1 p.m. – 5p.m.