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The name Kodak has been synonymous with the world of
cameras since the firm was founded by George Eastman in the 19th
Century. His vision to keep Kodak at the forefront of photography by the
masses has seen its peaks and troughs.
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The Kodak, invented by George Eastman (1854-1932), is perhaps the most
significant commercial camera ever produced. The important feature of
the Kodak was not the camera itself but the new photographic system
marketed to support it.
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After the film had been exposed, the camera was posted to the factory
where the film was developed and printed, the negatives and a set of
prints then being returned to the owner together with fresh film.
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In 1897 Kodak introduced their folding pocket camera, the first of what
was to become a very popular range of folding rollfilm cameras. Over
300,000 No 3A Autographics were produced by Kodak between 1914 and 1934.
The Autographic Kodak Junior included a stylus with which the user could
'write' onto the film backing paper.
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In 1900 George Eastman marketed the original Brownie to be an
inexpensive camera for the mass market priced at $1(5 shillings in UK).
The Brownie made photography accessible to the masses. Virginia Schau,
an amateur photographer using a Kodak Brownie, won the Pulitzer Prize in
1954 for this photo.
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The Brownie camera went on to become a best-seller in America. In 1935
Kodak also introduced Kodachrome, the first 35mm colour film.
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The company's greatest profit margins came from the
sale of film, chemicals and paper.
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In 1975 Kodak engineer Steven Sasson spent 10 largely
uninterrupted months in a research lab creating the first digital
camera.
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However, despite being one of the original inventors
of digital photography, the 133-year-old firm has struggled to keep up
with competitors who were quicker to adapt to the digital era and has
filed for bankruptcy protection.
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Announcing the move to seek bankruptcy protection,
Antonio Perez, Kodak's chairman and chief executive, said: "The board of
directors and the entire senior management team unanimously believe that
this is a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of
Kodak." |