Do you remember the first photo you ever took?
The history of experimental and professional photography can be traced back to the 1820s, but personal photography wouldn’t begin until the late 19th century.
On October 14, 1884, George Eastman received a patent for roll camera film, which became the basis for his popular Kodak box camera in 1888.
That little box, and all the personal cameras leading up to our digital phones today, have shared images and memories for more than 125 years.
“For Eastman, the 1880s was a dynamic decade. In 1884, he hired William Hall Walker, a camera inventor and manufacturer, and together they designed the Eastman-Walker Roll Holder, which allowed photographers to advance paper film through a camera rather than handle individual plates. The roll holder came to define the basic technology of cameras until the introduction of digital photography in the late twentieth century. More immediately, it became the basis for the first Kodak camera, initially known as the ‘roll holder breast camera.’”
— “The Wizard of Photography”
PBS, The American Experience
Kodak box camera, National Museum of American History Image
“Previous to Eastman’s invention, photography was an expensive, cumbersome and messy hobby. Cameras were enormous and the wet film required processing straight away.
In September 1888, New York-based Eastman registered the made-up brand name ‘Kodak’ and offered the first branded camera, a handheld box-shaped model sold with the promise, ‘You press the button – we do the rest.’
Further developments during the rest of the century and into the 1900s saw Kodak film improve, cameras get smaller and easier to use and the brand grow into one synonymous with the new medium of snapshot photography.”
— “A Brief History of Kodak, American Tech Icon”
Mashable, January 2012
Here is a look back at some historic photos going back to 1826, some of which were awarded Pulitzer Prizes for excellence in photojournalism.
