The Kodak story began when 24-year-old George Eastman was planning a vacation from his job in Rochester, New York, as a bank clerk in the 1870s. A co-worker suggested that he take vacation photos of him and discovered that to do any photography, one has to carry a bulky load of camera, wet plate developing chemicals and other things.

It was only after three years that he developed a dry glass plate to his satisfaction. He obtained a US patent for various gadgets he developed and began manufacturing in 1880. A year later, together with a businessman, he devoted himself entirely to the photography business and left his job at the bank.

Here are the important developments in the history of photography and the evolution of the modern camera

1880: George Eastman, founder of Kodak, sells dry plates.

1884 – Eastman Dry Plate and Film company formed. Henry A. Strong, a businessman who joined Eastman two years earlier, served as president and Eastman as general manager and treasurer.
1888 – “Kodak” is born as a trademark. The first portable camera was introduced and marked the birth of instant photography. Kodak was then known with its highly publicized slogan: “You push the button, we do the rest.”

1892 – Company name changed to Eastman Kodak Company of New York. At the time, Kodak’s products were distributed outside of the United States, particularly in France, Germany, and Italy, with its headquarters in London and a manufacturing facility outside London.
1898 – With its vision to bring photography to more people at the lowest possible price, Kodak developed the Kodak Pocket Folding Camera. This is the father of modern roll film cameras. The Brownie camera was introduced at $1 each and film at 15 cents a roll.

1923: Kodak introduced Kodacolor motion picture films, cameras, and projectors and sold them at affordable prices. The company provided the US government with aerial cameras and trained US Signal Corps cameramen during World War I.

1963: Kodak introduces the Instamatic camera. It revolutionized amateur photography and became a huge success as they are affordable and easy to use.

1970s: Kodak was involved in several antitrust lawsuits brought against the company by smaller photo companies. It also collided head-on with another company that makes and sells instant photography that develops out-of-camera images in minutes: Polaroid. This protracted battle between two giants in the photography business finally ended with Kodak paying a $925 million settlement to Polaroid.

Over the years, Eastman Kodak further contributed to the development of photography. It also expanded into other industries such as chemical manufacturing, supplying supplies needed for US defense hardware manufacturing requirements, and in the medical field, Kodak printers, and ink cartridges. Kodak.

Up to this point in history where digital imaging systems dominate the world of photography, Kodak remains a force and a brand to be reckoned with.