The autochrome was one of the first colour photography techniques introduced by the Lumière Brothers in 1907. Tiny grains of potato starch, coloured red, green and blue, filter the incoming light, creating a colour image. Flowers and gardens became popular topics to photograph with this technique because of their colourful nature.

Autochromes were also used for portraits, although people had to sit very still if they didn't want to appear blurred. Exposure times were sometimes minutes long!