The Rise, Fall, and Enduring Legacy of Kodak: A Cautionary Tale of Innovation

We are working on an estate sale that has a wonderful selection of antique cameras and antique photos.  I thought I would research the Kodak company and I learned quite a lot and thought that our readers would enjoy a brief history lesson about Kodak as well!  I hope you will dive deeper into the history of the founder, George Eastman, he was a hardworking and interesting gentleman!

A giant of industry, once synonymous with photography itself, has seen its capital dwindle, but its legacy remains indelible. Kodak, the company that almost single-handedly brought photography to the masses and enabled the golden age of Hollywood and home video, now witnesses its own dramatic downfall – an ironic victim of the very technology it invented: the digital camera.

The illustrious history of Kodak dates back to 1880 and the age of innovators like Thomas Edison. Visionary George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Dry Plate Company, began with an invention using photographic emulsion on paper. His relentless pursuit of advancements led to the critical merging of ideas from Hannibal Goodwin and Emile Reynaud, which formed the basis of the first mass-market rolls of film.

In 1888, Eastman trademarked the simple, meaningless word “Kodak,” which quickly became one of the world’s most recognizable brands. The release of the first Kodak camera, pre-loaded with film for 100 photos, democratized the craft and gave birth to the “amateur photograph.” The subsequent 1900 release of the ‘Brownie’ camera was so quick and easy to use that it inspired a new word: “snapshot.”

Fueling Hollywood and History

Kodak’s innovation didn’t stop at amateur photography. Collaborating with the legendary Thomas Edison, Eastman helped trim film stock to the 35mm standard, instrumental in the development of Edison’s Kinetoscope and the broader film industry.

Further R&D success came in 1935 with Kodachrome, a mass-market hit for its ability to capture rich color. This iconic film, beloved by photographers like William Eggleston and Steve McCurry, became a staple for both amateurs and Hollywood filmmakers until its discontinuation in 2009.

The company’s impact extended beyond Earth: in 1969, Kodak produced the camera hardware used by Apollo 11 astronauts on the Moon, capturing history with images like the first photo of Earth from deep space.

The Digital Paradox

In 1975, Kodak engineer Steve Sasson invented the first digital camera, a 3.6kg device storing images on a cassette tape. Kodak continued to innovate in the digital sphere, developing the world’s first camera-size megapixel sensor in 1986 and the first digital SLR in 1991.

However, the company’s fatal flaw was its failure to fully commit to the digital revolution it initiated. While competitors like Nikon and Canon rapidly seized the market, Kodak, despite being the largest U.S. digital camera seller in 2005, saw its market share plummet

Due to massive financial losses, Kodak ceased selling 35mm color film in 2009 after 74 years of production, a move that dismayed the photographic community. Though it has since revived some film production after selling off key assets, the company has fallen from grace.

Despite the recent struggles, Kodak’s legacy endures. We have Kodak to thank for enabling countless individuals to capture the moments that define their lives, and for some of the most beautiful and iconic images of the 20th century.