On September 4, 1888, George Eastman received U.S. Patent No. 388,850 for key improvements to the Kodak camera system and registered the Kodak trademark. At a time when photography required bulky glass plates, chemical expertise, and often a portable darkroom, Eastman’s compact camera and flexible roll film made picture-taking far more accessible.
The original Kodak came preloaded for 100 circular exposures and was sold with a revolutionary promise: “You press the button, we do the rest.” When the roll was finished, customers mailed the entire camera to Kodak’s Rochester factory, where the film was developed, prints were made, the camera was reloaded, and the package was sent back.
By separating picture-taking from the technical work of processing, Eastman helped turn photography from a specialized craft into a mass-market pastime. Ordinary people could now document family life, travel, and unscripted everyday moments—helping create the snapshot culture that still shapes how we record our lives.
Image: Kodak patent drawing via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
