Polaroid introduces the instant camera 1947

Polaroid introduces the instant camera 1947

Polaroid introduces the instant camera, February 21, 1947

Polaroid founder Edwin Land first demonstrated the instant camera on February 21, 1947 at a meeting of the Optical Society of America in New York City.

The Land camera, as it was originally known, contained a roll of positive paper with a pod of developing chemicals at the top of each frame. Turning a knob forced the exposed negative and paper through rollers, which spread the reagents evenly between the two layers and pushed it out of the camera. A paper cutter trimmed the paper and after a minute the layers could be peeled apart to reveal the black-and-white photo...

Edwin H. Land demonstrating instant camera, 1947. Polaroid Corporation Collection