Today in IP

In this day in 1948, patent # 2,435,720 issued to Edwin Land for a special type of camera called the Polaroid. These cameras peaked in popularity during the 70s as they had this magical ability to print your photo within a minute or so of taking the picture. With the current crop of digital cameras we see the image immediately after taking the picture. Not so with traditional film cameras back in the 70s. You would insert a roll of film into the camera that would typically record 24 or 36 pictures. Since film was not cheap you would wait until the roll was completely "exposed" before removing the roll and sending it in to be developed and prints made. So depending upon how often you took pictures it could be months before your roll was developed and printed. Many a times receiving your prints was pretty exciting because you would find pictures that you had take but forgotten about. Well Edwin Land's Polaroid camera solved that problem with a special film the size of a print that not only reacted with light but also contained the necessary chemicals to develop itself. So you would take a picture, the Polaroid camera would eject the film/print, you would wait 60 seconds or so, and finally peel off the cover and see your recently taken picture in all of its glory without having to wait weeks or months. This was instant gratification 70s style and to me as a child borderline magical. Polaroid Corporation is no more having fallen victim to digital photography but for those of us in my generation the memories are sweet. 

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