He dedicates his life savings to honour photography’s pioneer

For most, retirement is a time for rest, but for Saji Ennakkad, a retired Kerala State Electricity Board senior superintendent, it is a time for creation—he is spending his life savings on building a memorial for Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, the French inventor and pioneer of photography, at Vathikulam, near Mavelikara.

The work on the Joseph Nicéphore Niépce Memorial began on 5.5 cents of land in June this year. Former Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar laid the foundation stone and the project is expected to be completed by early 2026.

Joseph Nicéphore Niepce.
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The project, with an estimated cost of ₹45-50 lakh, being implemented under the aegis of the Joseph Nicéphore Niépce Foundation, will recreate the portion of Niépce’s (1765–1833) house at Saint-Loup-de-Varennes in France. The memorial will feature the iconic window through which Niépce captured ‘View from the Window at Le Gras (Point de vue du Gras),‘ the world’s earliest surviving photograph.

View from the Window at Le Gras (Point de vue du Gras).
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“It was on this estate that Niépce carried out his groundbreaking experiments in heliography, the earliest photographic process. Around 1826–1827, Niépce captured the photograph using a camera obscura. The image was made on a pewter plate coated with bitumen of Judea, hardened by sunlight, and later washed with lavender oil to reveal the picture. In later years, photography immortalised memories, but the world had almost forgotten the man who made it possible. The monument ensures that Niépce will forever be remembered,” said Mr. Saji, who is a painter and photojournalist.

The Niépce Heliograph is permanently exhibited at the Harry Ransom Centre, University of Texas, in the United States. According to the Joseph Nicéphore Niépce Foundation, the Mavelikara memorial will honour “Niépce as the true father of photography, correct historical misconceptions, and educate the global community and inspire the younger generation with authentic history.”

Former Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar laying the foundation stone for the Joseph Nicéphore Niépce Memorial at Vathikulam, near Mavelikara, in June 2025.
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A 34-kilogram bronze statue of Niépce will stand beside the memorial, which is planned as a modern cultural complex featuring a photography museum, art gallery, workshop spaces for photography and painting enthusiasts, and an open-air stage for cultural events.

Mr. Saji is also the author of a book about the history of photography, titled Nischalam Nishabdham.