Edwin Land's Photography

Edwin Land was born on May 7, 1909 in Bridgeport Connecticut. He was the the only child to Harry and Martha Land. Edwin Land attended Harvard University, studying chemistry. Land dropped out of college after one year and moved to New york, where he researched and developed a Polaroid J Sheet. Every night, Land worked in a laboratory that he snuck into to work on his Polaroid J sheet. Edwin returned to Harvard, where he focused on chemistry and physics. Land paired up with one of his professors and founded the Land-Wheelright Laboratories. The company was renamed Polaroid in 1937. Land developed different technology that was implemented in sunglasses, color animation, 3D movie glasses and tinted windows. During World War II, Land refined night vision goggles, the vectograph and target finders that helped the United States in the war. Land and his team contributed to the U-2 spy plane after the war. In 1943, Land’s daughter asked why their camera couldn't produce a photo as soon as the picture was taken. This inspired Land to produce a camera that would produce a photo instantly. In 1947, Land produced the Polaroid Land Camera. This camera would instantly produce a photo. These new cameras became instantly popular and sold out the first day they were released. In 1963, Land introduced a color-photo Polaroid camera to the market. In 1978, Land developed an instant movie making system in color. The company was unsuccessful in a new product called Polavision so Land decided to resign as a chairman.
Potts Medal
1963-Presidential Medal of Freedom 1965-IRI Medal
1967-Frederic Ives Medal 1968-National Medal of Science for Engineering
1974-Perkin Medal 1974-Vermilye Medal
1977-National Inventors Hall of Fame Award 1979-SPIE Gold Medal
1988-National Medal of Technology and