Snapshot Notes Part 1
1888-1919
The snapshot was born with the hand-held camera, the most popular being the Kodak, introduced in 1888. In this article we are going to explore the first 32 years of snapshots, and look at how their appearance gives clues to their age. In subsequent articles we will look at some of the later developments in this genre.
The hand-held camera broke the near-monopoly professional photographers held on the art and science of photography up to that time. Yes, there had always been amateur photographers, but they had to be very dedicated to their hobby to learn how to manipulate the large and expensive camera, and complex chemical development process. These early amateurs were few in number, and their work often rivaled that of professionals.
When the Eastman company introduced the Kodak, all that changed. You could buy a camera for $25, and it came loaded with enough film for 100 photographs. Then, when those were taken, you simply sent the camera back to the company, and they did the developing and printing, and reloaded your camera with fresh film. By 1892 the Eastman Company became Eastman Kodak, and they continued to offer cameras with more and more improvements at an ever widening range of prices. In 1900 they introduced the Brownie for just $1, and ever since almost every family in America has owned at least one camera, and a drawer full of snapshots.