Joseph 'Nicéphore' Niépce (1765-1833) was born in Chalon-sur-Saône and died in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes. He is known as the inventor of photography, then called 'heliography'. At great risk due to the busy main road, I took my own photo of the huge block of stone erected in his memory. As you might imagine, Niépce is all over Saint-Loup, with signs revealing anecdotes of the great man, plus a museum which was closed due to Covid: by no means unusual around here.
The Maison des Illustres plaque notes that the house below was Niépce's laboratory, where he created the first photograph in history: Le Point de vue de la fenêtre.
And this is that photograph.
Niépce's grave on the left, his wife Antoinette's on the right.
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