Thanks to the invention of photography, the 19th century marks the earliest point in history that we can see as it actually was. Steadily less blurry images tell a story of industrialisation and modernisation but also of colonisation, capturing images of the people and places that laid the groundwork for the modern world. From the first photos ever taken to celebrated snapshots of some of history's most important moments, here we track how early photography developed – and then helped develop the world.

Devastating natural disasters, brutal war zones and the view from a Parisian window – click through this gallery to see what the world looked like in the 1800s...