Long before waterproof cameras and scuba gear became standard tools for marine research, a French biologist named Louis Boutan descended into the ocean with a bulky, custom-built camera and captured what no one had seen before: a photograph taken beneath the sea.
In the late 19th century, Boutan not only invented the technology to make underwater photography possible, but also produced some of the earliest images from a world hidden below the surface. His innovations opened up a new frontier in scientific observation and visual documentation—achievements made possible by relentless experimentation, technical ingenuity, and a deep interest in marine biology.
A Journey from Paris to the Deep
Louis Marie-Auguste Boutan was born on March 6, 1859, in Versailles, France. He studied biology and natural history at the University of Paris, and in 1880, was appointed deputy head of the French exhibit at the Melbourne International Exhibition.
During his 18 months in Australia, he traveled widely and discovered new animal species. After returning to France, he became a lecturer at the University of Lille in 1886, the same year he learned to dive.
Inventing the Underwater Camera
In 1893, Boutan was appointed professor at the Laboratoire Arago in Banyuls-sur-Mer, where he began developing underwater photography equipment with his brother Auguste. Together, they engineered one of the first underwater cameras.
The setup was large and heavy, and required careful balancing of air pressure to prevent leaks. Boutan also created the first underwater flash system, initially using a flash bulb, and later a carbon arc lamp to provide stronger lighting in the dark ocean depths.
Capturing the Ocean’s Hidden World
Boutan’s photographs, taken in the Mediterranean Sea, included marine life, divers, and seafloor landscapes. In 1898, he published La Photographie sous-marine et les progrès de la photographie, the first known book on underwater photography.
His slides were exhibited at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, bringing his unseen underwater world to a wide audience. He also documented his apparatus and techniques in an article for The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine.
Later Research and Recognition
In 1904, Boutan traveled to Hanoi to study rice cultivation and pearl oyster farming. After returning to France in 1908, he continued academic work and later contributed to the development of a diving suit for the French army during World War I. He also conducted early experiments in artificial pearl production.
In the 1920s, he held academic posts in Arcachon and Algiers. Boutan retired in 1929 to Tigzirt, Algeria, where he died on April 6, 1934. In 2010, he was posthumously inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.
In the 1890s, long before modern scuba gear or waterproof cameras, French biologist Louis Boutan built a custom device to capture something no one had seen before: a photograph taken underwater.
His invention, experiments, and ocean research opened a new chapter in science… pic.twitter.com/I67EAxfDb1
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) July 25, 2025