Eastman Patents Film: Photography Goes Portable
George Eastman filed his patent for flexible photographic film on October 14, 1884, replacing the heavy glass plates that had chained photography to studios and darkrooms. His paper-backed film could be wound on a spool and loaded into lightweight cameras. By 1888, Eastman was selling the Kodak camera, a simple box preloaded with film for 100 exposures. Customers mailed the entire camera back to Rochester, New York, where Eastman's factory developed the pictures and reloaded the film. 'You press the button, we do the rest' became one of advertising's first great slogans. The invention democratized photography overnight: what had required a wagon of equipment and chemical expertise now fit in a coat pocket. Eastman's fortune built the Eastman School of Music, endowed MIT, and funded dental clinics across Europe.
October 14, 1884
142 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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