Photographic Film
The invention that revolutionized photography!
George Eastman
- Founded Kodak
- Invented the first photographic roll film in 1884 and patented it in 1888
Production
- Wet plates were originally used to develop photos but were messy and photographers had to take the picture while the plate was wet. This was inconvenient and inefficient.
- Eastman invented an emulsion-coating (nitrate coating) machine which enabled him to mass-produce photographic dry plate.
- He then used the coating on a transparent paper base that could be rolled around a spindle, thus creating the first flexible roll of film.
The Impact of Film
- Made indoor and outdoor photography easily possible to people who were inexperienced at taking pictures. This made the product marketable to the wide public.
- The small size made it portable and easy to load into a camera.
- Improved picture quality and exposure.
- enabled inventor Thomas Edison to develop the first motion picture camera in 1891.
The original Kodak
The first Kodak camera (top)
and the first film rolls (bottom two)
Kodak today
Roll of film and packaging today
What's the big deal?
- The film roll was a huge advancement in the world of photography and was the first modern way of developing pictures
- This was a user-friendly invention: Many people learned to use cameras after this invention which created a boost in the photography industry
- Media and press became greatly advanced with the help of film throughout the 1900's