Marcellin Jobard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marcellin Jobard
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| Born | 17 May 1792 Baissey, France
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| Died | 27 October 1861 (aged 69) Brussels, Belgium
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| Nationality | Belgian |
| Occupation | Lithographer, photographer, Inventor, journalist |
Jean-Baptiste-Ambroise-Marcellin Jobard (born May 17, 1792 – died October 27, 1861) was a Belgian inventor, photographer, and artist. He was originally from France. Jobard started the first important lithography business in Belgium. He also took the first photograph in Belgium on September 16, 1839. From 1841 to 1861, he was the director of the Industry Museum of Brussels. Jobard was very important in the art, technology, science, and industry of Belgium during his time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Marcellin Jobard was born in a town called Baissey in France. His father, Claude Jobard, was a farmer and later the mayor of Baissey for thirty years. His mother was Marguerite Prudent.
Jobard went to school in Langres for several years. This was the same school that the famous writer Denis Diderot had attended. He then continued his studies at a school in Dijon. There, he learned from a teacher named Joseph Jacotot.
Towards the end of his life, Jobard became very interested in spiritualism. He is buried in Brussels Cemetery.
What Did Jobard Do?
Jobard first worked as a surveyor for the Dutch government. He later became a Dutch citizen. When he learned about lithography, which is a way of making prints, he left his job. He moved to Brussels around 1819.
Starting a Lithography Business
In Brussels, Jobard started a large lithography business in 1820. His company made prints for books and other projects. One of his first jobs was to illustrate a science magazine. In 1828, Jobard won a gold medal in an international competition for lithographers in Paris. This award recognized his great progress in the art of printing.
Becoming a Belgian Citizen and New Ideas
After the Belgian Revolution in 1830, Jobard automatically became a Belgian citizen. His lithography business later went out of business. He then spent a year in Verviers, where he learned a lot about industrial topics. In 1832, he became a supporter of the ideas of Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon, who believed in social reform.
In 1833, Jobard traveled to Britain. There, he met Charles Babbage, who is known as a pioneer of computers. After this trip, Jobard strongly supported bringing railways to Belgium.
Journalism and Early Emoticons
In 1837, Jobard owned two daily newspapers. He wrote a column called "Industrial Bulletin" in them. In 1841, he suggested adding "extra emotional typographic characters" to his newspaper. These were special symbols that could show feelings, like an irony punctuation. These ideas were very early versions of what we now call emoticons or smileys.
Photography Pioneer
In 1839, Jobard was a representative for the Belgian government at an industrial exhibition in Paris. He met many important thinkers and business people there, including Louis Daguerre. Daguerre was the inventor of the daguerreotype, an early type of photograph. Jobard bought a daguerreotype camera.
When he returned to Brussels, Jobard took the first photograph in Belgium on September 16, 1839. It was a picture of the Place des Barricades in Brussels. In October, he took the first portrait photograph in Belgium. Sadly, both of these original photos are now lost.
Museum Director and Inventor
In 1841, Jobard became the Director of the Royal Industry Museum in Brussels. He had modern ideas for how museums should work. He believed in keeping, organizing, studying, and sharing knowledge with the public.
Jobard was very creative and smart. He registered 73 patents for his inventions. These inventions covered many areas like lighting, heating, food, transport, and even weapons. In 1850, he opened an office to help other inventors get patents and protect their ideas. He wrote many articles and books about intellectual property rights. This made him famous as a strong supporter of inventors' rights in the 1800s.
"Monautopole" Theory
Jobard also created his own economic and social theory. He called it "Monautopole." He explained that a monopoly was usually a special right given to one person to sell something that belonged to everyone. He thought this was unfair. His "Monautopole" idea was about the natural right of people to control their own work and what they created. He believed it was a fair reward for hard work, talent, and effort. Important people like the future Napoleon III and Victor Hugo praised his ideas.
Honours and Awards
- 1858: Officer of the Legion of Honour (a high French award)
- 1858: Saint Helena Medal
- Knight of the Royal Order of Francis I of the Two Sicilies
