The Pantelegraphe was invented by Giovanni Caselli in 1856 to transmit an image over a telegraph line.

He first made his first prototype in Italy and then came to France to seek the help of Paul Gustave Froment, a mechanical engineer.

In 1860 he made the first test of his Pantélégraphe against Napoleon III (pictured). Empress Eugenie had to keep this evidence until 1867, when she handed it over as a documentary archive.