Musée Nicéphore-Niépce

The Musée Nicéphore-Niépce is a photography museum in Chalon-sur-Saône dedicated to the history and development of this art form. The collection includes vintage cameras, lenses, light meters, and prints from different decades, plus technical equipment showing how photography has changed over time.

The inventor Nicéphore Niépce created the first permanent photographic image in the 1820s, making this town the birthplace of photography. The museum was established in 1972 to preserve his legacy and the history of the medium.

The museum is named after the inventor Nicéphore Niépce, who lived and worked in this town. The displays show how photography changed the way people saw their surroundings.

The museum is located along the Quai des Messageries and can be reached on foot from the town center. Visitors should plan for about two hours to explore the displays at a comfortable pace.

The museum preserves rare examples of early cameras, some of which still work and are occasionally used for demonstrations. These functioning instruments help visitors understand how photography was actually practiced in its early days.

Location: Chalon-sur-Saône

Inception: 1972

Official opening: 1972

Address: 26, quai des Messageries

Phone: +33385484198

Website: http://museeniepce.com

GPS coordinates: 46.78025,4.85560

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:02