1900-1950: Moving Forward
Here we are: The 20th century! Lots of things also happened at the start of the 1900's. The United States began Open Trade with China, the US and the United Kingdom sign the treaty for use of the Panama Canal, Hawaii becomes a US territory, the US Navy debuts its first submarine, and the only Olympic cricket match takes place in Paris (France is creamed by England, anyway!) Moving to photography, as that is more important (Sorry, Hawaii)
The very first event in the new century happened in 1907. During this year, the first commercial color film, the Autochrome plates, are manufactured by the Lumière brothers in France. Auguste and Louis were both born in the small city of Besancon. Their father was a photographer himself. Both of the boys did excellent in science when they were in school. At 18, Louis had had such success with his film plate that his father opened a factory and it gained instant popularity. Their father attended a showing by Thomas Edison in Paris and sent home pictures of his design for the boys to see. The boys took the design and modified it and created a motion film camera that could shoot 16 frames a second. They filmed short clips of everyday French life, in addition to making the first comedy shorts and documentaries.
In 1909, Lewis Hine is hired by the U.S Department of Labor to take photographs of the children who worked in the cotton mills and factories all throughout the New England area. Also in 1909, Arthur Pillsbury (remember him?) created the first short nature film that he showed at Yosemite Park during his visit there.
The very first event in the new century happened in 1907. During this year, the first commercial color film, the Autochrome plates, are manufactured by the Lumière brothers in France. Auguste and Louis were both born in the small city of Besancon. Their father was a photographer himself. Both of the boys did excellent in science when they were in school. At 18, Louis had had such success with his film plate that his father opened a factory and it gained instant popularity. Their father attended a showing by Thomas Edison in Paris and sent home pictures of his design for the boys to see. The boys took the design and modified it and created a motion film camera that could shoot 16 frames a second. They filmed short clips of everyday French life, in addition to making the first comedy shorts and documentaries.
In 1909, Lewis Hine is hired by the U.S Department of Labor to take photographs of the children who worked in the cotton mills and factories all throughout the New England area. Also in 1909, Arthur Pillsbury (remember him?) created the first short nature film that he showed at Yosemite Park during his visit there.
In 1912, Arthur Pillsbury designs the very first time lapse camera. He used it to take images of the plants and flowers that grew around his studio in Yosemite Valley. He also shows the first movie to all the park officials at a conference to show the destruction and mowing of fields full of flowers and vegetation.
German photographer Oscar Barnack, who is employed by the Leitz company, creates a camera in 1914 that uses the modern 24 by 36mm frame on the inside and could sprocket 35mm movie film.
In 1917, the Nippon Kogaku, K.K. company (originally an optical company) is established by combining three smaller optical companies. They started out with only about 200 employees and eight German technicians. They originally produced things such as microscopes and telescopes, not glasses!
Man Ray begins to produce photographs (rayographs) in 1921 by placing objects on photographic paper and exposing the shadows that were cast to a distant light bulb.
Arthur Pillsbury returns in 1922 and designs, builds and begins the patenting process of his mass production photo post card machine. This allowed people to take one picture and then print it on thousands of postcards. The actual patent didn't come through until 1926.
The Leitz company takes Barnack's model camera in 1924 and improves it, making the highest quality 35mm camera at the time.
In 1927, Arthur Pillsbury created the first microscopic motion picture camera. He displays this design by showing a short film at the University of Berkley to the faculty of the campus. This is also the year that General Electric (GE) releases their design for the modern flash bulb, allowing people to take pictures in lower lighting and still get a good photo.
The years of 1929-1931, Arthur Pillsbury created the first x-ray motion camera and the first underwater camera. Also, a doctor at MIT created the first kind of strobe photography.
In 1934, Fuji Photo Film is founded and by 1938, they are not only creating film, but they have released a variety of cameras and lenses.
The first kind of Kodachrome, a multi-layered color film, is developed by Eastman Kodak in 1936. This year is also the beginning and development of Exakta, a brand name of camera that was made by the camera shop called Ihagee Kamerawerk in Dresden, Germany. They began pioneering a 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera.
This is also around the beginning of World War II. This brought about the creation of multi-color negative films that were used to shoot pictures of the war for LIFE magazine.
German photographer Oscar Barnack, who is employed by the Leitz company, creates a camera in 1914 that uses the modern 24 by 36mm frame on the inside and could sprocket 35mm movie film.
In 1917, the Nippon Kogaku, K.K. company (originally an optical company) is established by combining three smaller optical companies. They started out with only about 200 employees and eight German technicians. They originally produced things such as microscopes and telescopes, not glasses!
Man Ray begins to produce photographs (rayographs) in 1921 by placing objects on photographic paper and exposing the shadows that were cast to a distant light bulb.
Arthur Pillsbury returns in 1922 and designs, builds and begins the patenting process of his mass production photo post card machine. This allowed people to take one picture and then print it on thousands of postcards. The actual patent didn't come through until 1926.
The Leitz company takes Barnack's model camera in 1924 and improves it, making the highest quality 35mm camera at the time.
In 1927, Arthur Pillsbury created the first microscopic motion picture camera. He displays this design by showing a short film at the University of Berkley to the faculty of the campus. This is also the year that General Electric (GE) releases their design for the modern flash bulb, allowing people to take pictures in lower lighting and still get a good photo.
The years of 1929-1931, Arthur Pillsbury created the first x-ray motion camera and the first underwater camera. Also, a doctor at MIT created the first kind of strobe photography.
In 1934, Fuji Photo Film is founded and by 1938, they are not only creating film, but they have released a variety of cameras and lenses.
The first kind of Kodachrome, a multi-layered color film, is developed by Eastman Kodak in 1936. This year is also the beginning and development of Exakta, a brand name of camera that was made by the camera shop called Ihagee Kamerawerk in Dresden, Germany. They began pioneering a 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera.
This is also around the beginning of World War II. This brought about the creation of multi-color negative films that were used to shoot pictures of the war for LIFE magazine.
Eastman Kodak releases their new Kodacolor negative film in 1941. In 1942, a physicist, inventor, and patent attorney from Seattle, Washington named Chester Carlson gets his patent for xerography, or electric photography. Xerography, originally called electrophotography, is basically a technique for dry photocopying.
A photo company in Sweden called Hasselblad offers its first medium-format SLR to its customers for commercial sale. Another company in Japan called Pentax showcases its first automatic diaphragm. A diaphragm, or aperture device, controls how much light is allowed into the lens when a picture is taken. This is also the year that Polaroid released its instant black and white film cameras.
In 1949, a company named East German Zeiss develops the Contax S, which is the first SLR with an unreversed image, making it easier for people to see their photo ahead of time. They also created a pentaprism viewfinder. The prism helps to redirect light from the lens to the viewfinder instead of the camera sensor. They had the highest resolution and showed the most natural representation of the photo about to be taken.
A photo company in Sweden called Hasselblad offers its first medium-format SLR to its customers for commercial sale. Another company in Japan called Pentax showcases its first automatic diaphragm. A diaphragm, or aperture device, controls how much light is allowed into the lens when a picture is taken. This is also the year that Polaroid released its instant black and white film cameras.
In 1949, a company named East German Zeiss develops the Contax S, which is the first SLR with an unreversed image, making it easier for people to see their photo ahead of time. They also created a pentaprism viewfinder. The prism helps to redirect light from the lens to the viewfinder instead of the camera sensor. They had the highest resolution and showed the most natural representation of the photo about to be taken.