STORY
Dr. Land & The Instant Photograph
It was 1943, Dr. Edwin H. Land had just taken a photo of his 3-year-old daughter when she turned to him with wide-eyed wonder and asked, “Why can I not see the picture?”
That innocent question lit a spark in Land’s mind — a vision of a future where moments could be held instantly. Four years and countless experiments later, Land, at 38, unveiled the Polaroid Model 95.
Until then, photos took weeks or months to develop. But in just 60 seconds, Land’s camera transformed time itself. This became Dr. Land’s most significant contribution to science, following his invention of polarizing glass in 1936 at age 27.
The Project
I had the pleasure last summer to be one of Annie Atkins’ workshop students in Ireland.
We learned that creating graphic props is so much more than just design. We explored graphic tools, different time periods, and character psychology to aid a film tell its story.
I chose to explore the life and work of Dr. Edwin Land; highlighting one of his many inventions with a series of props:
1. Postcard to a friend describing his idea of the instant photo.
2. His personal notebook of ideas.
3. Boxes of test film he and his team took in the lab while tesing the instant camera.
4. One of the 535 Patent forms he acquired during his career.
5. A newspaper front page of him showcasing Polaroid’s instant camera for the first time.
SOCIALS
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I would love to help you bring your world to life.
Let me know what you have got in mind.