Throughout our history, several inventions were made by various creators due to different reasons. It is either by accident or could sometimes be a result of necessity. Some of these inventions would benefit society, while some are merely a product of interest.
Several brilliant inventors contribute to the creation of these inventions, and among these great minds is the American scientist named Edwin Herbert Land. Land is responsible for inventing the polaroid camera and glare-free light, along with many other inventions. However, these two are his most successful creation, which made him one of the richest around the globe during the 20th century.
In this article, we are going to look into the history of Edwin Land, as well as his two great inventions – the polaroid camera and glare-free car light.
What is the History of the Polaroid Camera?
The history of the polaroid camera started on vacation in Santa Fe in 1943. Like other inventions, the polaroid camera is a result of necessity.
The idea of the polaroid camera originated when Land took a photo of his three-year-old daughter, Jennifer. Land was able to take good pictures of her daughter; however, the girl requested to take a look at her pictures. During that time, photos would need to undergo a specific process for it to develop properly, which often took several days. Although Land was able to appease his daughter, the idea still bothers him even after their vacation. That is the time when the concept of instant photography was born.
Upon creating the idea on his head, he quickly made it his goal – which is to invent the camera that could print pictures instantaneously. After days of work, Land’s work came to an end with incredible results. His invention includes a new kind of film and a unique system that allows the camera to print photos instantly after capturing them. The first version of the polaroid camera took less than a minute to print pictures.
The first production of this camera is under the name – Land Camera. It was the birth of the polaroid camera, and Land was regarded as the father of instant photography.
In 1948, the market of the polaroid camera became a huge success. Its printed photos have a reddish-brown color, while Land continued to do experiments to improve the quality of the pictures further. Later in 1948, Land developed a way to produce films in black and white, while in 1969, he made them in color.
What is the History of the Glare-Free Car Light?
Similar to the invention of polaroid cameras, Land came with the idea of the glare-free light from observations and everyday struggles. It started one evening when Land was walking down a street; a car came from the opposite side with its headlights on. The experience caused Land to have a dimmed vision since the lights were intense, which made him virtually blind for a few moments. Most of us probably already experienced the same thing when walking down the street, especially during night time.
However, this occurrence became a moment of inspiration for Land. He was triggered to find or create a solution for the problem he saw since he was also aware that such lights are responsible for several road accidents, which caused many fatalities.
Land’s idea was to lessen the car light and make its glare mellow. He came up with this concept and consumed his thoughts for the next few years.
In 1932, Land developed a film-like plastic sheet that filters the light called the polaroid. Right after the invention of polaroids, he established a company with his physics instructor George Wheelwright to manufacture products that polarize light – including the non-glare car lights and non-glare sunglasses.
The company, later on, went with the name Polaroid Corporation, which only took a short time to rise to success, and Land’s inventions quickly spread across the globe.
The international recognition of Land’s inventions earned him fame and fortune, which ended up him being on the list of the world’s wealthiest persons. In 1991, he passed away, leaving a lot of great inventions and discoveries, which inspired future industrialists – most notably Steve Jobs, the former CEO and co-founder of Apple.