Summary
Peter Buse studies how instant photography changed the act of taking and sharing pictures. Drawing on Polaroid’s archives, he examines the product’s uses in social life, art and private photography. The account also follows the company’s commitment to physical prints as digital imaging grew. Its chapters connect the properties of the camera and print with the experiences people sought from them. This is a cultural and technological history of Polaroid, rather than a biography of Edwin Land.
Why read it Our view
Compare the experience Polaroid sold with the physical process that made it possible. The company’s response to digital imaging also offers a case for asking which parts of a product’s value survive a change in technology.
Written about
- Edwin LandHistory of the company he co-foundedBuse studies Polaroid’s products, their use and the move toward digital photography. This is a company-history connection, not a book Land read or endorsed.Source