Figure 1.--The Kodak Browie revolutionalized photography. Now any family member could photograph the minutest detail of family life. The camera moved out of the studio and at a price that most Americans could afford.

Photography for most of the 19th century was studio bound. For photography to move out of the studio and be available to ordinary people, it was clear that a dry method was required. Many experts contributed to this, but it was not until George Eastman released the "Brownie," in 1900 that amateur photograpy became a real possibility for virtually everyone and snap shots began to reveal the everyday lives of people. This was a major development and explains why so many photographic images begin appearing in 1900 of everyday people in all kinds of dressy and informal outfits going about their lives. Snap shots began to appear in the 1890s with the introduction of the box camera, but it was the low-cost Brownie in 1900 that caused the snap shot to become an integral part of everyday life.

Gelatin

For photography to move out of the studio and be available to ordinary people, it was clear that a dry method was required. The next major step forward came in 1871, when Dr. Richard Maddox discovered a way of using Gelatin (which had been discovered only a few years before) instead of glass as a basis for the photographic plate. This led to the dry plate process. English photographer Richard Bennett developed the first practical dry plates in 1878. Dry plates could be developed much more quickly than with any previous technique. Initially it was very insensitive, but it proved to be much faster than the wet collodian plates. The introduction of the dry-plate process marked a turning point. No longer did one need the cumbersome wet-plates, no longer was a darkroom tent needed. In addition, the increasing speed enanled the photographing of moving objects for the first time.

Celluloid

Celluloid was invented in the early 1860s and John Carbutt persuaded a manufacturer to produce very thin celluloid as a backing for sensitive material. George introduced flexible film in 1884. His films replaced the heavy, bulky, breakable glass plates.

The Box Camera

The box camera was a major innovation. Until the box camera, photography was so complicated that only the most committed amateurs could persue photoraphy. Eastman in 1889 introduced the box camera bring photography within reach of a much larger market--but it was still relatively expensive. We begin to see affluent people taking snap shots at this time. Even children could operate a box camera. We see, for example, boys at exclusive private schools with box cameras in the 1890s. If the individual could afford it, the box camera was a simple cameras that could be easily operated by amateurs. The film was on a strip which could be advanced by simply winding. Thus by the 1890s snap shots begin to appear in contrast with the formal studio shots previously available. Box cameras while not cheap in the 1890s, were a fraction of the cost of the elaborate cameras previously required. Prices steadily fell in the next centuary which would bring photography available to virtually everyone.

Figure 2.--Amateur photographs began to appear in the late 1880s with George Eastman's box cameras with flexible roll film, but they were relatively expensive until the Browine was offered for only $1 in 1900. Sudenly the snap shot was born and photographic images of children appear chronicling their daily lives.

Flexible Roll Film

It was American George Eastman who brought photography out of the studio when he developed flexible roll film. The first Kodak cameras cost about $25. You bought the camera loaded with a roll which took 100 photographs. The camera was small and without heavy, bulky equipment, it could be taken where ever you wanted to go. When the roll was shot, you sent the camera to Kodak. They returned the prints and the camera loaded with a fresh film. The $25 cost of the camera plus printing costs, however, limited photography to the affluent middle class.

The Brownie

This changed for ever in 1900 when the Brownie camera was introduced for $1. Now most Americans could afford one. The number of informal snbapshots increase exponetially beginnuing in 1900. It is no accident that large numbers of family "snap shots" began appearing. Family snap shots meant that children might be photographed around the house at any time of the day. Indeed they were so easy to use that children might even take the photographs themselves. The Brownie and the sanp shot were a marvelous inovation to the social historian. The resulting snapshots provided wonderful images of everyday life. Photographs of children were no longer limited to an occasional visit to the photographic studio when they were dressed in their best clothes. Begining in 1900 one starts to see children in their everyday clothes engaged in day to day activities around the house. Not only do we get a much more relaistic look at how children were dressed, but we have a multitude of images showing their homes and everyday activities in and around the home. It is Georege Eastman and his Brownie that brought this about.

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Created: March 23, 1999
Last updated: October 9, 2002