The Story Behind Windows XP's Background Image 'Bliss' | Knowledge #8

Released on October 25, 2001, Windows XP became widely popular due to its user-friendliness and stability. It was a time when laptops were still a novelty. For those born in the Heisei era or Generation Z, you might recall having a desktop computer at home during your childhood, marking your first encounter with the digital world. When Windows XP support ended in 2014, many users had to transition to newer versions, and this lush hill faded into a fragment of memory from that era.

The desktop background image known as 'Bliss' for Windows XP was taken in 1996 by veteran National Geographic photographer Charles O’Rear in Sonoma County, California.

This tranquil landscape was accidentally born from the devastation caused by the microorganism 'phylloxera', a type of aphid, which ravaged vineyards in Napa Valley. With 50,000 acres of vineyards destroyed, farmers had no choice but to re-cultivate the land. As a result, the landscape of Northern California transformed into something beautifully pastoral. In 1996, the rejuvenating vineyard scenery caught O’Rear's eye, and he captured it using a medium format camera and FUJIFILM color film.

Since its release with Windows XP in 2001, 'Bliss' has been viewed by billions of people. The exact reason for its selection is unknown, but it is said to have perfectly matched Microsoft's branding team's desire for a 'peaceful image' and 'non-tense image'. O’Rear sold the rights to this photo to Microsoft, making it the second most expensive sale for a photographer.

There is also an anecdote that due to the high value, O’Rear had to personally deliver the photo's negative to Microsoft's headquarters as shipping insurance could not cover it.

At 76 years old in 2017, O’Rear continued his photography work and participated in Lufthansa's project 'New Angles of America', creating and releasing three new wallpapers for smartphones. The wallpaper you unconsciously set might just be one of O’Rear's photographs.