Polaroid brand history. Everything you need to know about Polaroid. How to check the polarization of glasses
Everyone knows that a Polaroid is a photograph that is ready within minutes of pressing the camera button. But, on the other hand, it also has one more extremely significant feature: each Polaroid photograph is unique and cannot be repeated. The difference between it and ordinary photography is like between a drawing and an engraving. Polaroid captures a fleeting reality only once, so it evokes some impressionistic impulses - to instantly capture a moment, immediately get the result and realize that everything has already changed in seconds.
Still Life Blue Guitar David Hockney
According to the generally accepted legend, the idea of a camera that produces instant pictures once came to the mind of a three-year-old girl who wanted to see a picture immediately after she was photographed and began to ask why this was impossible. Probably, a similar question came to mind for many children, but not all of them had the genius Edwin Land as their father, who had long been working on the problem of polarization of light, founded the Polaroid company and developed not only lenses for cameras and optics for sunglasses, but also devices for aerial reconnaissance and homing devices. shells. Land had the idea almost immediately, but it took about three years to implement.
Cassio Vasconcellos
In 1947, Edwin Land introduced the first model of instant photography, where the film, after exposure, was rolled between special rollers, with the help of which reagents were applied to it to develop and fix the image: thus, it was ready for printing. The invention was convenient and easy to use. The new Land 95 camera went on sale the very next year at a price of $89.75, that is, aimed at middle-class consumers.
It is worth noting that Edwin Land still wanted to take Polaroid out of the framework of everyday circulation. He understood very well that image means a lot, and it would not be amiss to include his brainchild in the history of art, so he in every possible way encouraged famous photographers to use his invention, helped them organize exhibitions, and bought works. Since the late 1950s, the famous Polaroid Photography Collection began to gradually take shape. A unique collection of photographs, which, as already mentioned, existed only in a single copy.
David Levinthal
Landscape artist Ansel Adams was the first to respond to Land’s call; he tested the camera’s capabilities and subsequently helped in the formation of the collection. Works by Edward Weston, Paul Strand, etc. were purchased. New York MoMA also began collecting a collection of Polaroids. This played a role in establishing the status of the Polaroid. Further meetings could be formed from little-known, new names.
David Levinthal
It is worth saying that one of the features of Polaroid photography is the fact that it is difficult to determine from it professional photographer it was made by a beginner or just an amateur. Polaroid is not studio photography. It is intimate and therefore always somehow warm and close. It depends only on a glance, light and one click of a button.
Joyce Tenneson
The first black and white Polaroids, due to the density of the card and the already forgotten, reverent attitude towards the new product, resemble old daguerreotypes. This is where the vintage style comes from, for example, like that of Karl Baden. Of course, over time this feeling passes, and Polaroid becomes valuable precisely for its dynamism and impressionistic ability to snatch out pieces of life.
Joyce Tenneson
As for color Polaroids, which have been appearing since the early 1960s along with Policolor film, then, of course, their color rendition is interesting (especially Time Zero Film is recognizable). The popularity of Polaroids even creates a special stereotypical image of the 1960s: it seems that everything was especially bright and warm then.
Joyce Tenneson
In the 1970s, a phase of technical and aesthetic experiments began. The photographs are folded into canvases, they are scratched or scribbled on the surface of the Polaroid, as if arguing with its past status of irreversibility and self-sufficiency. Later, it becomes possible to transfer the image from the card to other materials. At the same time, special effects of texture and volume were possible, as, for example, in the fish of Sergio Tornaghi.
Polaroid is even still considered something stylish and fashionable. Working with it has a certain competitive nature: the camera is widespread and accessible, the conditions are equal for everyone, but at the same time you want to get an original result. Polaroid was actively used by Andy Warhol, Helmut Newton, Robert Mapplethorpe, and nude master Lucien Clergue. There are portraits of Salvador Dali by the famous Philippe Halsman. The most famous collages belong to David Hockney, who skillfully plays with the fragmentation of space into even Polaroid squares, while creating an amazing multi-layered reality.
Devil's Backbone II Anna Tomczak
Thanks to their precise geometric shape, some models of Polaroid cards give rise to ideas of Suprematist abstraction, like Brela Bruno, who photographs, in particular, various parts of buses. The classics of Polaroids are, of course, domestic scenes, such as the work of Barbara Hitchcock, who later became the director of the Polaroid Collection.
Equus Anna Tomczak
Probably, all existing instant photographs could cover half the globe. After all, Polaroid, despite the bankruptcy of the producing company, is popular to this day, and it is not the new device, but the old one - the older, the more interesting, since all this fits perfectly into the nostalgic fashion for vintage and into the general postmodernist discourse as a particularly significant brand of the past .
Polaroid is a famous American company founded in 1937. The company specializes in the production of photographic and optical equipment. It became most widely known as a manufacturer of instant cameras that print images immediately after exposure. In addition to photographic equipment, Polaroid Corporation also produces consumer electronics(LCD TVs, portable DVD players, digital photo frames and much more).
Camera of the era
Polaroid instant cameras remain a cult gadget to this day. The first instant camera was released in 1948, but the pictures were in black and white; The camera acquired its familiar look with one-time square prints of images already in the 70s; the peak of popularity of these cameras came in the 80s. The cartridge of such a camera contains photographic material or a combination of photographic materials and reagents, resulting in a positive photograph on a paper basis.
Invention Factory
Another popular product of the company is Sunglasses with polarized glasses, however, the products thanks to which the company received the title of “invention factory” are X-ray film, night vision devices, etc. From 1977 to 1979, the company also produced reversible film in the Super 8 format (Polavision), and since 1983, a similar 35 mm reversible film, Polachrome.
Triumphant return
In the 2000s, the company went bankrupt due to a sharp increase in popularity digital cameras, something Polaroid weren't prepared for. However, in 2011 the new digital Polaroid Z340 was released, taking into account all the shortcomings of the bulky classic camera and applying the latest digital technologies; with the release of this model Polaroid company triumphantly returned to the world photographic equipment markets.
The Polaroid company produces a wide range of various photographic accessories: filters, 3in1 and 4in1 filter sets, LED flashes, wide-angle and telephoto lens attachments, battery packs with an LCD screen, lens hoods, lens caps, LED video light in a hot shoe. , and much more.
Worldwide famous company Polaroid became famous for its developments in the production of sunglasses, consumer electronics and photographic equipment. Most people associate this company with cameras that immediately after taking the frame printed the picture on paper. It was this type of camera that made people take pictures en masse.
The peak of Polaroid's popularity occurred in the 1980-1990s. Other participants in the photography technology race soon overtook Polaroid. There was even a period of time when the company declared itself bankrupt. Today, Polaroid is reviving interest in instant photography.
Edwin Land
Polaroid was founded by Edwin Land. He was born in 1909 into a family that emigrated from Russia. From an early age, Edwin studied how kaleidoscopes worked and experimented with light. After graduating from school, the young researcher and inventor enters Harvard. As a student Edwina attends interesting idea for the sake of which he quits his studies.
Edwin began studying the principle of polarization and began making polarizing filters that help dim light. Edwin Land received a patent for his invention and returned to Harvard in 1929. The head of the physics department was amazed by the invention of the young talent and provided him with a laboratory to study the principle of polarization of light.
After some time, other research laboratories became interested in these filters. Edwin, together with his physics teacher George Wheelwright, founded a company called Land-Wheelwright. The first customer was Kodak. Polarizing glass was used as photo filters for cameras. The rights to produce sunglasses were also purchased new technology American Optical Society. These two transactions increased the firm's capital and in 1937 Edwin Land founded a new corporation, which he named Polaroid.
At first, Polaroid did not do anything related to photography. In 1939, an order was received from the American government to develop homing projectiles. During World War II, binoculars, periscopes, night vision devices and optical devices for aerial reconnaissance were created.
Land Camera
After the war, the American government did not indulge Polaroid with orders, which meant that it was necessary to develop a product for mass consumption by people. In 1944, Edwin Land began to think about creating a device that could take snapshots. This idea was prompted by his little daughter. She asked her father why she couldn’t immediately look at the photograph taken. The concept of instant photography was developed over three years.
In 1947, a new type of camera was presented at a meeting of the American Optical Society. The camera had special mechanisms that pulled the film and applied reagents to it, which developed the image inside the device. The finished photograph was taken out. The quality of the pictures was lower than what was obtained in photo workshops, but the fact that it was unnecessary to waste time and effort to get the finished result made this device very attractive to the average user.
1948 was a significant year for Polaroid. It was then in retail sales The first cameras arrived. Special cassettes have been developed for them, which are easy to carry and install in the device. Such a camera was not cheap, but it was not considered a luxury item. This invention was aimed at the middle class. By 1950, the millionth pack of cassettes had been produced. It was a success.
The world of amateur photography has changed. At various holidays and millet parties, the Polaroid camera was used more and more often. This is very convenient, because guests could immediately take the finished photographs with them. Darkrooms became less and less popular.
Over time, instant photography began to be used by professional photographers. The first to use Polaroid for creative works became photographer Ansel Adams. After him, this trend was adopted by Andy Warhol, Helmut Newton and other famous creative personalities. The quality of the images has become business card Polaroid. The photographs had a very warm and pleasant film look.
Camera SX-70
In the 60s, another breakthrough occurred. A new Polacolor film was developed and launched on the market. It made it possible to obtain color photographs. The photographic equipment itself was also improved. Cameras began to shrink in size, the control mechanism changed, and an exposure meter appeared.
In 1972, the Polaroid SX-70 Land appeared, which became the first fully automatic Polaroid device. The only two things the photographer now had to do was change cassettes and press the shutter button. The camera was not large in size. It was very convenient to carry with you.
The SX-70's image quality was still lower than that of conventional cameras, but people didn't care because the joy of taking an instant photo made up for any shortcomings. Edwin Land owned the rights to instant photography technology, and when Kodak decided to market its instant-photo devices, Polaroid crushed the endeavor with numerous lawsuits. Kodak was forced to leave this market.
A huge number of patents guaranteed the maintenance of an absolute monopoly. Edwin Land said that his idea was exceptional and that the entire success of the company was based on it. And only patents protect this idea.
The collapse of Polaroid
The mistake was made in the late 70s. At that time, Polaroid released a new device for receiving instant films. The camera was called Polavision.
The new product was not particularly successful. The videos were very short and without sound. Magnetic tape recording, which was being developed by many companies at that time, became much more widespread due to the presence of sound and more high quality. Polaroid suffered losses. The video recording market eluded Edwin Land. He was so worried about this that he resigned and left his post as manager of the company. The end of the 90s was marked by the emergence of a new star - digital photography. This hurt Polaroid's position the most, as they only developed film and were unable to enter the digital market.
At the beginning of the new century, Polaroid found itself on the outskirts of the photography market, since it was impossible to compete with digital photography, and Polaroid’s own digital technologies were not sufficiently developed. The company's management turned out to be completely unprepared for the changes. Polaroid nevertheless released digital cameras onto the market, but Japanese manufacturers had already taken a big step in this direction by that time and it was impossible to catch up with them. People's interest in instant photography was fading, and digital technology was exciting the minds of the public.
Enormous losses forced the company to pursue bankruptcy proceedings in 2001. Part of the company became the property of Imaging Corporation. In 2003, another attempt was made to return to the market. The company released digital camera, whose sales also failed. Five years later, Polaroid filed for bankruptcy. The company has been restructuring for a long time and in 2009 another Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera was introduced. It had a built-in color printer that allowed you to print color photographs.
Throughout the history of mankind, a huge number of different cameras have been invented. One of them, the most unique, not resembling any other, was Polaroid. Its appearance led to the emergence of a new type of device, which later became known as snapshot cameras (or single-stage photographic process cameras).
It’s impossible to imagine what the average amateur photographer’s camera would look like today if digital photos. It seems that it would be the same Polaroid, but more updated. The principle of its operation is such that after a few minutes after shooting, you can already get a photograph, which is printed directly in the camera. Polaroid is, among other things, also an automatic darkroom, but a very miniature one.
The Polaroid camera was invented by a brilliant inventor from America, Edwin Land (who has Odessa “roots”). With a keen interest in optics and chemistry, he created the Polaroid company. His brainchild is not only a unique camera, but also a night vision device, various types of X-ray film and much more. Thanks to this genius, the world learned about the principle of operation of 3D glasses.
Because of the ability to constantly surprise the world unusual new products, Polaroid was called the "Invention Factory" in 1950. The inventor's daughter played a major role in the appearance of the Polaroid camera. As a child, she asked Land why the photo did not appear immediately after the shooting took place. Having asked such a question to her father, the girl could not even think that she had thus decided the fate of the camera, which would later be so famous.
The idea that came to mind haunted Land. The operating principle of the new camera was invented in an hour, but its implementation took three years. The world of photography literally exploded with the introduction of the new Polaroid camera in 1946. Half of the US population has made it their family camera, despite the considerable cost. The end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s was the period of the emergence of the “new Russians” class, whose symbol, along with a crimson jacket, a Mercedes car and a thick gold chain, became Polaroid.
The Polaroid company has lost a little of its popularity today, but it is still successful. Polaroid can be proud of its consumables for its products, compact video cameras, pocket printers and, of course, cameras (including instant cameras). Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital Camera is the latest product from the Americans, which can be used like a regular digital camera.
Among our readers there is hardly a dude who has not heard of POLAROID. However, not everyone knows how interesting and thorny path the company went through on its way to success. Today we want to tell you the story of this outstanding brand.
The Polaroid Corporation became famous for its optics and cameras that instantly print pictures. Polaroid is the brainchild of Edwin Land, who came from a Russian family that emigrated to the United States. He was born in 1909 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Even as a child, Edwin was fascinated by optical physics, and much of his time was occupied by experiments with lenses, stereoscopes and light. During his school years, he was a diligent student, showing a special interest in the natural sciences. Thanks to this, Harvard opened its doors to him in 1926. However, after a few months, Land decided to leave the university, not unreasonably believing that he was ready for his own scientific achievements. Three years later, our hero receives a patent for polarizing filters and triumphantly returns to Harvard. At the university, the young scientist was provided with his own laboratory. It was there that an invention called Polaroid was born - the first polarizing material for commercial use. In 1935, the first sunglasses with lenses designed by Edwin went on sale. The result of Land's work still faithfully serves as the main material for the manufacture of sun lenses, photo lenses and screens. The inventor conducted seminars on the polarization of light, but he was more interested in the commercial side of inventions than the scientific one, especially when such “monsters” as General Electric and Eastman Kodak began to take an interest in his work. Edwin founded the Land-Wheelwright company, which immediately acquired KODAK as a client and sold the license to produce sunglasses to the American Optical Society. In 1937, thanks to the proceeds, Land-Wheelwright became the POLAROID CORPORATION. Appeared absolutely new market sunglasses, and the name POLAROID became a well-known trademark. The company's profit exceeded 140 thousand dollars.
A powerful impetus to the development of the corporation in the form of $7 million was given by the US government, which allocated these funds for army orders. Polaroid made binoculars, night vision, and reconnaissance devices during World War II and became a supplier of specialty optics to the Air Force.
A key event occurred in 1947: Edwin Land introduced the first instant camera. They say that he owed the idea of creating such a miracle of technology to his daughter, who at a very young age asked: “Why don’t pictures immediately appear from the camera?” Thanks to the film rolling between the rollers and the reagents instantly applied to the photographic paper, this idea was brought to life. A year later, the camera went on mass sale at a price accessible to the middle class, which made it even more attractive. However, the photographs themselves were not cheap due to the cassettes with photo paper integrated into the camera.
The first fully automated camera, the Polaroid SX-70 Land, appeared only in 1972 and gained incredible popularity. Shares of POLAROID CORPORATION jumped 90 times, and it entered the list of the most favorable companies for investment.
In total, Edwin Land made two mistakes in the history of the company. By the end of the 70s, Polaroid decided to once again surprise the whole world by releasing the Polavision instant video recording device. But, unfortunately, he was not destined to repeat the success of the camera. The videos turned out to be too short and without sound and could not stand out against the background of existing systems for video playback. At the same time, the main competitor to Land's cameras appeared - an instant camera from Kodak, a giant in this industry. Edwin Land decided to take the blow and responded with a patent infringement lawsuit. After 10 long years, Polaroid won, and Kodak was ordered to pay Polaroid $600 million. Kodak later withdrew from the game, its developments in the field of instant photos could not catch up with the Polaroid locomotive rushing forward. The failure with Polavision influenced Edwin too much: he decided to leave the post of president of the Polaroid Corporation, selling all his shares, and observe the life of the company from the outside.
After the Kodak situation, other camera manufacturers began producing their own Polaroid-compatible models that worked with Polaroid cassettes. In addition to Konica, Minolta, Fuji, illegal Chinese “know-names”, the production of instant cameras was also started in the USSR. Two Polaroid “clones” appeared, compatible with original photographic materials, and a little later the Polaroid 635 CL and Polaroid 636 Closeup cameras, jointly produced by the Svyatozor and Polaroid enterprise, were released.
In the early 90s, Edwin Land's company made a second and fatal mistake. It was decided not to produce digital cameras, although Polaroid already had prototypes of them in the 80s. A story similar to the story of Colonel Colt, who abandoned an employee’s idea to produce revolvers with through-drums, without learning during his lifetime about the brilliant success of the Smith & Wesson company, which bought this particular patent at the right time.
In the early 2000s, in the conditions of fierce competition in the photographic equipment market, the company began to go bankrupt, and Polaroid went into all sorts of troubles, producing televisions and DVD players, changing from one owner to another.
2009 was marked by a second bankruptcy procedure, but the company managed to stay afloat. A year later,…guess who was appointed creative director and face of the company? I bet you didn’t guess right - the Queen of shocking Lady Gaga, with whom Polaroid signed a contract and launched a new line of Gray Label electronics. Cameras, camera glasses and portable printers with its design were produced under this brand. We don’t know what marketing school I graduated from CEO Jamie Salter, but he reasonably believed that such a move would return excitement to the company’s products, and, apparently, it was successful. Now the company continues to produce and develop new models of pocket photo printers, digital cameras with instant printing capabilities and action cameras.
It is worth noting that the timely separated company Polaroid Eyewear is still successfully engaged in sun protection and vision-correcting optics and belongs to the Italian group of companies SAFILO.