Profession: lens-maker

The well-known lens-maker Chevalier provided Niépce as well as Daguerre with sophisticated compound lenses, cutting-edge technological craftsmanship of the day — in the case of Daguerre, initially for his dioramas. Daguerre is said to have got Niépce’s address from Chevalier when he first wanted to make contact, Chevalier having mentioned Niépce’s experiments with fixing an image. Charles Chevalier was his (pushier) son: they worked in partnership for ten years before Charles set up his own business. Their compound microscope lenses were equally renowned.