1827–2027
The Last Photographs
200 Years of Photography
In the Bicentennial year of Photography, I use heliography — the first photographic process — to preserve Google Street View frames that were recorded by a machine and later overwritten.
Google Street View is probably the last major attempt to capture the visible world automatically and photographically – mechanical, continuous, and without photographic intent.
I roam through Google Street View searching for moments that were never meant to be seen. When I find one, I translate it into the first photographic process: heliography according to Nicéphore Niépce, 1827.
Bitumen on tin. Sunlight. Once. No repetition.
The material is asphalt – the same substance the street itself is made of, the street on which the image was taken. The street returns into the image.
Each work is unique: a box, a plate, a moment. 1827–2027.
. . .
Photographer
Venedig, Calle dei Tredici Martiri, April 2013
Venice, Calle dei Tredici Martiri, April 2013. The Google camera recorded this frame. In September 2023, I found it, produced an internegative, and exposed a 10 × 15 cm asphalt-coated metal plate. Six hours of sunlight. Contact printing. Single exposure. I titled the heliograph Photographer.
Frame still accessible. Verified June 2026.
Edition Photographer: A5 box, heliograph, internegative, screenshot, image card with QR code linking to Google Street View.
. . .
The Woman with an Umbrella.
Singapur, January 2009
Singapore, January 2009. The image was captured by Google’s cameras. In September 2023, I found the scene, made an internegative, and at the end of September coated a 10 × 15 cm metal plate with asphalt emulsion. On a sunny day, it was exposed for six hours using the contact printing process. Single exposure. I titled the heliograph The Woman with an Umbrella.
This Google Street View frame is no longer accessible. No adjacent frame of the sequence is still accessible. This is the last image. Verified June 2026.
Edition The Woman with an Umbrella: A5 box, heliograph, internegative, screenshot, image card with QR code linking to Google Street View.
. . .
Table with a Chair
Paris, 121 Rue Saint-Dominique, May 2018
Paris, 121 Rue Saint-Dominique, May 2018. The Google camera recorded this frame. In September 2024, I found it, produced an internegative, and coated a 10 × 15 cm metal plate with an asphalt emulsion in late September. On a sunny day, it was exposed for six hours using the contact printing process. Single exposure. I titled the heliograph Table with a Chair.
Frame still accessible. Verified June 2026.
Edition Table with a Chair: A5 box, heliograph, internegative, screenshot, image card with QR code linking to Google Street View.
. . .
The Man with a Plane Tree Leaf
Paris, 1 Quai de la Corse, August 2012.
Paris, 1 Quai de la Corse, August 2012. The Google camera recorded this frame. In September 2025, I found it, produced an internegative, and coated a 10 × 15 cm metal plate with an asphalt emulsion in late September. On a sunny day, it was exposed for six hours using the contact printing process. Single exposure. I titled the heliograph The Man with a Plane Tree Leaf.
Frame still accessible. Verified June 2026.
Edition The Man with a Plane Tree Leaf: A5 box, heliograph, internegative, screenshot, image card with QR code linking to Google Street View.
. . .
Seagull
Paris, Port de Suffren, November 2022.
Paris, Port de Suffren, November 2022. The Google camera recorded this frame. In June 2026, I found it, produced an internegative, and coated a 10 × 15 cm metal plate with an asphalt emulsion in late June. On a sunny day, it was exposed for six hours using the contact printing process. Single exposure. I titled the heliograph Seagull.
This Google Street View frame is no longer accessible. An adjacent frame of the same sequence is still accessible. Verified June 2026.
Edition Seagull: A5 box, heliograph, internegative, screenshot, image card with QR code linking to Google Street View.
. . .