The History of Astrophotography
Before the invention of photography observers sat at
telescopes and sketched what they saw.
Combining the optics of a telescope with a specially
constructed camera to make the first photographic plates took
place around the 1840s.
By the turn of the 1900s astronomers turned their attention to
making telescopes specifically for photography and not for
observing.
This in turn led to even better imaging of galaxies and star
clusters as well as better spectral images for deeper scientific
analysis.