The birth of amateur
photography
Late 19th Century / Early 20th Century
Until the last quarter of the 19th century the use of photography had been confined to professionals and the select wealthy. Putting the cost aside, a high degree of technical skill was necessary and the photographer was required to do all the preparation and developing. While many people now had portraits of themselves and family, very few had actually even thought of using a camera.
It was the introduction in 1888 of the KODAK camera by George Eastman
that truly brought photography in reach of the people. The affordable
and simple to use camera replaced photographic plates with a new form
of flexible roll film. The KODAK was purchased preloaded with a roll
of film and once completed it was sent to the factory for developing
before being mailed back along with prints and a freshly loaded film.
It was so simple that George Eastman penned the slogan "You push
the button, we do the rest." The era of the "snapshot"
and photography as we know it today had dawned.
At the turn of the century Eastman released the first incarnation
of the infamous "Brownie" Camera. Costing only $1 ( about
a twentieth of the cost of the original KODAK ) the camera used roll
film that could be loaded and unloaded in daylight by the photographer.
These advances in practicality and affordability resulted in the taking
of many millions of snapshots over the coming years. The brownie remained
popular for decades to come with many technical and aesthetic improvements
along the way.
