10 FUN FACTS ABOUT THE FAMOUS POLAROID CAMERA

Polaroid cameras are a relic that haven’t let go of heartstrings in the 77 years since their launch. Polaroid cameras are unmistakable: you can take pictures in an instant and watch them develop in real time. And the look of the photos are just as memorable: you know a polaroid picture when you see it thanks to the faded colors and the space under the photo to jot down a caption.

So to celebrate their popularity, we’ve gathered up ten fun facts about the instant camera that stirred up a whirlwind during its beginning, that held on tight while technology evolved around it, and that has made a stellar comeback as one of the trendiest cameras you can still buy new today.

1. Throwing Shade

Polaroid didn’t actually get its start as a company through cameras - instead, it was by selling polarized sunglasses! The company began in 1937 in Cambridge with the invention of these sunglasses - by putting a special filter over lenses, CEO Edwin Land found that it cut down on sunglare, increasing visibility and making outdoor activities safer. And thus modern sunglasses were born!

2. Joining the War Effort

Polaroid also designed and produced a range of products for the U.S. armed services during WWII. Bush enlisted Polaroid for the cause, and the company entered into a contract with the National Defense Research Committee. They produced polarizing filters for gunsights, binoculars, periscopes, rangefinders, and infra-red night viewing devices, as well as goggles for military dogs and mules to protect their eyes from debris.

3. Developing into the Film Industry

After selling polarized sunglasses, the Polaroid company moved into developing and selling photography equipment - including polarizing filters for cameras. Kodak was one of their first customers, ironic considering these two companies would later face each other in court for patent infringements.

4. Inspiration Strikes

The Polaroid was inspired by Edwin Land’s three-year old daughter, Jennifer. In 1944, when he took a picture of her during a family vacation in California, she asked why she couldn’t see the picture he had just taken. Land loved the idea of creating a camera that could instantly develop film, and he set to work with his team to develop the first Polaroid camera.

5. First Instant Camera

After the inception of the idea, it took Land and his team of scientists and engineers nearly five years to actually manufacture a product that worked well enough to be sold to the public. Considering that this was the first instant camera, they had to find a way to pack all the capabilities of a darkroom inside a film-sheet and a compact, portable camera.

6. Stuck the Land(ing)

The product was finally ready to be sold in the fall of 1948. It was dubbed the “Land Camera” after the CEO and mastermind behind the product. It was priced at $89.95 (which is roughly $1,150 in today’s money).

7. Becoming Sell-Outs

When it was first launched in stores, the Polaroid camera sold out in a matter of minutes. This was largely thanks to a demonstration by a Polaroid sales and demonstration crew member named Jordan Marsh. The demonstration happened at a department store in Boston, the day after Thanksgiving.

When people saw that the photos he took were developed in less than a minute, they were in absolute awe. The Polaroid cameras flew off the shelves, and the demonstration even ended early when the entire stock of cameras sold out.

8. Beyond the Lens

The way the Polaroid instant camera works is due in large part to its film-sheet. Polaroid film is made up of three layers (the top layer is a transparent plastic cover sheet, the middle layer is the film emulsion, and the bottom layer is a developing agent).

Since the film is light-sensitive, when light enters the camera and hits the film, a chemical reaction occurs and the development process starts. The Polaroid camera then takes it to the final, important step: its rollers squeeze the developing agent evenly across the film, creating a uniform image.

9. No Batteries Required

Polaroid cameras don’t require you to buy your own batteries. Instead, they run on a small battery that came with the disposable cartridge (the one that held the film-sheets). This small but mighty battery had just enough juice to power the camera long enough to take the same number of shots as the film-sheets included. Clever, right?

10. Shake It! (Actually, Don’t)

Shaking a Polaroid picture actually doesn’t help the photo develop quicker. And if you shake it too hard, you can even ruin the image! So don’t do it as the catchy song (and the title of our article) suggests. Instead, hold the photo still or set it down picture-side-up until the photo fully develops. And be sure not to smudge it with fingertips!

Summary

Thanks for reading! We hope you had fun reading these ten fun facts about Polaroid cameras. Share some of your newfound knowledge with your friends and family - and when they ask where you got it, don’t forget to tell them you read it from SpenCertified!

Have a great day!