Interesting fact. France bought the patents of Daguerre (Daguerreotype was an early name for photograph) and gave it to the world for free. "Arrangements were

Interesting fact. France bought the patents of Daguerre (Daguerreotype was an early name for photograph) and gave it to the world for free. "Arrangements were made for Daguerre's rights to be acquired by the French Government in exchange for lifetime pensions for himself and Niépce's son Isidore; then, on 19 August 1839, the French Government presented the invention as a gift from France "free to the world" Can you imagine if a country did this today just for the glory of it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Daguerre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Daguerre