Polaroid was an American company best known for its instant film and cameras. The company was founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land, to exploit the use of his Polaroid polarizing polymer. Land and Polaroid created the first instant camera, the Land Camera, in 1948. Land ran the company until 1981.
The Polaroid camera bypassed the entire process of film development, thus providing photographers an immediate look at their work. Released for sale in 1948, the first version was an instant hit. Now, the museum at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is showcasing the intersection of technology and art.
In its heyday, Polaroid and its products were loved by millions of amateurs and embraced by countless professionals. The Polaroid Project tells the fascinating and instructive story of the Polaroid company, and presents all aspects of Polaroid photography, including the technology that made it possible. After traveling around the world, this critically acclaimed exhibition opened at the MIT Museum in October 2019, approximately a block from where instant film was first invented.