Velké Březno chateau holds possible oldest group photograph in the world
The oldest known group photograph in Czechia, and possibly the world, is housed at Velké Březno Chateau near Ústí nad Labem. Taken in 1839, the daguerreotype features the aristocratic family of Count Karel Chotek along with relatives and friends. The historic image was recently added to UNESCO’s national Memory of the World register.
Karel Chotek was a high-ranking nobleman who served as the Supreme Burgrave of the Kingdom of Bohemia, one of the most influential positions in the country at the time. The photo of Chotek and his companions was taken on November 4, 1839, during a state visit to Munich, just months after the invention of the daguerreotype technique was first publicly announced.
The precise dating of the photo is supported by diary entries from Count Chotek and his son Emanuel, both of whom described the trip in detail, says Milada Sekyrková from the Archive and Institute of History at Charles University:
“They stayed in Munich for a total of 14 days. The daguerreotype is mentioned as early as October 23, right after their arrival and visit to the exhibition. The photograph itself was likely taken at the end of their stay, around November 3 or 4.”
Photography historian Pavel Scheufler notes that the timing aligns perfectly with the dawn of photography:
“On August 19, 1839, the invention of the daguerreotype was officially presented to the public. It was impossible to ignore—it became a global media sensation. Daguerre was awarded a lifelong pension and celebrated as a hero of his time. People even wrote poems about him.”
According to Scheufler, the group of ten people was likely photographed by Carl August von Steinheil, a Munich-based physicist and inventor.
Miloš Musil, steward of Velké Březno Chateau, points out that there is no record of the Chotek family paying for the photograph. Most likely, it was a gift from a friend who had invited them to participate.
Musil also highlights some unusual details in the image:
“At the centre of the group is not a man, but a woman, actually three women. Typically, the most prominent person would be placed at the centre, in this case, Count Chotek. Another notable detail is that Count Chotek is wearing all of his medals, including the Order of the Golden Fleece. The first attempt at the photograph failed, so for the second attempt the next day, he arrived in full regalia.”
The photograph remained at Velké Březno until 1945. After the estate was nationalized, it was relocated, along with other furnishings, in the 1950s to Líčkov Chateau in the Louny region.
There, it lay forgotten in a crate for decades until it was rediscovered by heritage conservators during an inventory check in 2002. Now that the image has received national recognition, curators plan to apply for its inclusion in UNESCO’s international Memory of the World register as well.
