George Eastman and the Kodak Camera

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“Eastman’s improvements had the effect of moving photography from the professional’s studio, where it had evolved from the realm of portraiture and art, to the world of the general consumer,”(Carlisle 247). Photography was a difficult hobby or profession to have in the mid- 1800s. It was difficult because it needed essential pieces of equipment in order to even come out with a decent picture. Cameras were normally five by eight inches, and all the equipment that was needed was a hassle to carry (Buckland and Lefer 250). It required a darkroom, a tripod, and lots of chemicals. In a darkroom, a photographer had to coat a glass plate with egg white, and then lay it on a solution of gun cotton and alcohol mixed with bromide salts. When this emulsion was moist, but not dry, a photographer had to dip it in a mixture of nitrate and silver, and shield it from the light as they put it in their camera (Buckland and Lefer 250). George Eastman did this process when he bought his first camera in 1877. He was 23 years old, and was a young banker. He was set out to determine an easier way to go about photography because of his experience with the difficulty of cameras (Buckland and Lefer 250). George Eastman impacted photography by making picture taking simple and fun, by making photography more enjoyable, and by creating photography into a hobby in which everyone could take pleasure.

George Eastman (shown in picture one) bought his first camera in 1877 (Buckland and Lefer 250.) He realized how difficult it was to take a picture and stated, “One ought to be able to carry less than a pack-horse load,” (Buckland and Lefer 250). So, he set out on trying to create a camera that was simpler and less complicated. Eastman did not have any experience...

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...y. New York: Time Warner Book Group, 2004. 250-253. Print. These pictures of George Eastman are primary sources. They are primary becuase they were taken by George Eastman at the time period of the first Kodak Camera. This source relates to the topic becuase the pictures in the book were taken with a Kodak Camera. This source helped me in my project becuase it showed me some things you could do with the Kodak Camera and showed me the quality of the photos the Kodak Camera took.

Roeder, George H., Jr. “Putting a Face to the Name.” Reviews in American History (1997): 456-461. Project MUSE. Web. 21 Jan. 2010. . This resource helped me because it told me about George Eastman. It gave me information on his life, and also the Kodak Camera. It told me about the impact of the Kodak camera as well.

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