The First Candid
The First Candid
In 1838, a Parisian street was captured by Louis Daguerre. To the casual observer, the scene appeared vacant, save for a shoeshine boy and the client whose boots he was polishing. Today, thanks to a group of dedicated investigators, the city of Paris is installing a plaque to commemorate this exact location.
The Dawn of the Human Image
Long before the era of Facetune, "duck face," or the curated portfolios of Diane Arbus and August Sander, there were these two anonymous men on the Boulevard du Temple. They are widely believed to be the first human beings ever recorded via photography.
The Composition
- The Bootblack: Squatting low, positioned next to his tool chest.
- The Patron: Standing still, foot resting on the box, hands tucked behind his back.
- The Season: Spring (evidenced by the budding leaves of the plane trees).
While the street was actually teeming with life and cabarets, the technical limitations of the time acted as a filter. The daguerreotype required an immense exposure time:
Because of this, only those who remained perfectly stationary were etched into the silver plate.
"In this genre, it’s the unforeseen that one must count upon." — François Arago, physicist, presenting the invention to the Assemblée Nationale.
Shortly after, the French government purchased the rights to the technology, gifting it freely to the global community. The identities of the two men remain a mystery, yet they serve as the accidental icons of a medium about to transform the world.
The Great Location Hunt
The quest to find the exact spot began one evening in 2024. Maximilien Van Aertryck (a producer for filmmaker Ruben Östlund) was out for drinks with colleagues Axel Danielson and Kalle Boman. While walking the Boulevard du Temple, Van Aertryck—who had long been moved by the "poetic" loneliness of the two figures—wondered if they were standing on the very spot where the photo was taken.
The Investigation Process
The team initially checked common theories, but quickly found them lacking:
The Filles du Calvaire Métro stop Incorrect.
To find the truth, they embarked on an eighteen-month odyssey.
Challenges Overcome
The search was complicated by the historical volatility of Paris:
- Urban Renewal: Baron Haussmann demolished large sections of the area to build the Place de la République.
- Catastrophes: In 1839, both Daguerre's theatre (the Diorama) and his workshop on Rue Léon-Jouhaux were destroyed by fire.
- Conflicting Data: Most old engravings focused on a building where an emperor had been shot, obscuring other details.
| Resource Used | Purpose | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Real-estate registers | Property boundaries | Identified surviving structures |
| 3D Scans | Spatial analysis | Narrowed down the coordinates |
| Measuring Tapes | Physical verification | Final pinpointing |
The Final Calculation
Two different architectural firms used the same 3D data to find the spot. They were off by only a few feet.
# The "Split the Difference" Method
location_firm_a = "Point A"
location_firm_b = "Point B"
final_spot = (location_firm_a + location_firm_b) / 2
print(f"Mark the spot with: {final_spot}")
Van Aertryck describes the climax of the search: a colleague rushed to buy nail polish to mark the exact paving stone—now designated by a red X near some discarded chewing gum.
A Fragile Legacy
The physical history of the image is as precarious as the men's stillness was.
- The Original Plate: Once held by the Bavarian National Museum (sent to King Ludwig I), it was severely damaged by botched restoration during WWII.
- The Only Trace: The only remaining record of the "Boulevard du Temple" is a photograph of the original plate, taken in the 1930s by MoMA curator Beaumont Newhall.
Final Checklist for the Commemoration
- Research archival maps
- Triangulate via 3D scanning
- Mark spot with nail polish
- Unveil plaque (Scheduled for October 15th)
By honoring these "original photobombers," the city of Paris transforms an unforeseen accident into a permanent landmark. As Van Aertryck hopes, the site will become a starting point for others to embrace the history of the image.
About the Author:
Lauren Collins has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2008. Her recent work includes "They Stole a City: Wilmington’s White Supremacist Coup and the Families Who Live with Its Legacy" (2026).