Over the past few years, the concept of “liminal space” as a visual aesthetic has exploded in popularity online. There are forums dedicated to liminal space photography and memes, and the term was even used in an answer on a recent Jeopardy! episode.

People enjoy sharing photos and discussing whether or not the subjects are liminal spaces. This can be difficult since it’s a tricky concept to grasp (judging by the heated debates users get into, at least). Forums on the topic tend to have lengthy descriptions of what does and does not constitute a liminal space, and many of the guidelines are subjective.

What is liminal space?

Generally speaking, liminal spaces are areas of transition, like hallways, waiting rooms, or tunnels. Photos of these spaces are devoid of people, animals, or other beings, and usually include one or more common elements such as darkness, shadows, or fog.

Liminal space photos convey a sense of “in between” or uncertainty. They’re not places where people would spend any meaningful amount of time.

The oldest known photographic example of liminal space

It turns out that the world’s oldest known surviving photographic image depicts a liminal scene that nicely exemplifies the term as a visual aesthetic.

View from the Window at Le Gras is a heliograph made by a French inventor named Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in around 1827. It depicts a grainy, hazy version of the landscape as viewed from (as the title suggests) a window on a sunny day. Flanked by nearby buildings on each side of the frame, the horizon is visible in the distance, with a tree, a rooftop, and other objects in the foreground.

A remarkable image

Niépce created this remarkable image with a camera obscura at his estate in the French countryside. The sunlit scene was projected onto a pewter plate coated with a light-sensitive, tar-like substance called bitumen.

The exposure time for View from the Window at Le Gras is thought to have been from eight hours to several days, based on the placement of shadows in the image.

The camera obscura’s fuzzy effect and Niépce’s choice of subject matter work together to create a near-perfect example of liminal space. The scene is unsettlingly ambiguous and abstract, conveying a sense of impermanence. Because of the extended exposure, the buildings’ shadows appear in multiple places, which adds to the confusing, dreamlike effect.

The appeal of liminal space photography

Liminal space photographs appeal to people for a myriad of psychological and aesthetic reasons. These images often inspire an emotional effect on the viewer. Some people say they get a sense of comfort from viewing liminal spaces, while others enjoy a creepy thrill or a flash of nostalgia.

Interior designer Keely Smith told HowStuffWorks that the pandemic helped spur the rise in popularity of architectural liminal spaces. The collective uncertainty we experienced “has made people more aware of transitional spaces and the emotions they evoke,” said Smith. “Liminal spaces are being talked about as spaces of potential where people can reflect on their experiences and engage with their surroundings in new and meaningful ways.”

Go see it! ‘View from the Window at Le Gras’ is on public display

Fans of liminal space photography can visit Niépce’s groundbreaking work in person. View from the Window at Le Gras is on display at the University of Texas at Austin, where it’s kept safe in a specially-built oxygen-free case.