At the very dawn of the 20th century, the foundation of the photography world was about to change.  In February of 1900, Eastman Kodak announced The Brownie Camera, allowing just about anyone to use a camera for the first time.  In its first iteration, the Brownie cost one dollar and consisted of a very basic cardboard box as a body, a simple lens and a cartridge of 2 ¼ inch square roll film already installed upon purchase.    

(An original Brownie camera, c. 1900)

 
Prior to its invention, photography was relegated to professionals and wealthy amateurs; the average person was not about to start fiddling with chemicals and investing in very expensive equipment to take a photograph.  Kodak capitalized on this idea by offering a no maintenance camera that took the guesswork out of photography – their slogan: “You push the button, we do the rest.”  Customers would use up the roll of film built into the camera and then send it in to Kodak, which would then develop and print the negatives, load the camera with unexposed film, and send it back to the customer.  Along with a new an easy way for people to take photographs, the Kodak Brownie also helped coin the term ‘snapshot’, a new phrase within the lexicon of photography still with us today.  Ingrained as a particular style of photography, it implies a carefree attitude and simplicity towards the operation of the camera.  One can not help but draw parallels with the last decade of camera design.    

The dawn of the 21st century certainly offered similarities to this historic introduction to snapshot photography – ones that are proving to be just as significant.  While the Brownie camera exploded photographic activity throughout the world in the early 1900’s, digital photography has done the very same thing today, removing the cameras reliance on a third party such as Kodak, and replacing it with a nearly unlimited digital memory slot managed by its user.  Just as Kodak removed the need for users to trouble themselves with the photographic process, the digital camera took it even one step further.

The irony, of course, lies in Kodak’s own efforts in its own demise.  In the 1990’s, Kodak spent millions developing some of the world’s first digital imaging technology.  Its early discoveries are still being used in many cell phone cameras, with income from those early patents being Kodak’s last foray into the digital market.  In the winter of 2012, it was announced that their production of digital cameras would cease as further restructuring of the corporation continued.  Film, for the time being, remains a profitable market for Kodak as amateurs and artists continue to enjoy the way it renders the world around them. 

Everyone else, however, just couldn’t be bothered.