Polaroid Corporation facts for kids
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The Polaroid SX-70, manufactured by Polaroid Corporation from 1972 to 1981.
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| Private | |
| Industry | |
| Fate | Brand sold to One Equity Partners; changed name to Primary PDC, Inc. |
| Successor | Polaroid B.V. |
| Founded | Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.; 1937 |
| Founder | Edwin H. Land |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S. |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products |
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Number of employees
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0 |
Polaroid Corporation was an American company famous for its instant film and cameras. It started in 1937, founded by Edwin H. Land. He created a special material called Polaroid polarizing polymer.
Edwin Land and Polaroid made the very first instant camera, called the Land Camera, in 1948. This camera could print photos right after you took them! Land led the company for many years, until 1981.
The original Polaroid company faced financial problems and went out of business in 2001. However, the "Polaroid" name and brand lived on. It was bought by different companies over time. In 2017, a Polish investor named Wiaczesław Smołokowski bought the brand. This led to a company called Impossible Project, which made film for old Polaroid cameras, changing its name to Polaroid Originals in 2017, and then simply Polaroid in 2020.
Today, you can find many products with the Polaroid name, like digital cameras and televisions. These are made by different companies that license the Polaroid brand.
The Story of Polaroid
How Polaroid Started and Grew
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The first Polaroid Corporation was started in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1937. Its founders were Edwin Land and George W. Wheelwright III. People often called Polaroid "the Apple of its time" because it was so good at inventing new things.
Polaroid first sold polarized sunglasses. Edwin Land had done a lot of research on how light works. He even left Harvard University for a while to focus on his ideas. Polaroid owned patents for its special polarizing technology. This technology was used in things like 3-D movies and special goggles for military dogs. During World War II, Polaroid also made products for the armed forces, like night vision devices.
Edwin Land was known as the "father of instant photography." He found a way to put all the steps of developing a photo right inside the film itself. He showed his new Land Camera to the public in 1947. At first, users had to pull a tab and peel off the photo. But in 1972, the SX-70 camera came out. It automatically printed the photo, making it much easier!
In the 1970s, another big camera company, Kodak, started making instant cameras too. Polaroid believed Kodak copied their ideas and sued them. The lawsuit lasted for 10 years! In the end, the court agreed with Polaroid. Kodak had to stop making instant cameras and pay Polaroid a large sum of money.
Challenges and Changes
In 1977, Edwin Land introduced a new product called Polavision. It was an instant home movie camera. But at the same time, video cameras that used videotapes were becoming very popular. So, Polavision did not sell well. This was a big problem for Polaroid.
After leading the company for over 40 years, Edwin Land left Polaroid in 1981. He passed away in 1991. The Polavision product caused Polaroid to lose a lot of money.
In the 1980s, Polaroid tried to change and find new ways to make money. They started making things like videotapes. But the world of photography was changing fast. New technologies like one-hour photo developing, disposable cameras, and video camcorders appeared. Then, in the 1990s and 2000s, digital cameras arrived.
Polaroid actually made some of the first digital cameras, like the PDC-2000 in 1996. But they couldn't get a big share of this new market. They also made scanners for photos. But these products faced a lot of competition.
Polaroid's Financial Struggles
The original Polaroid Corporation faced serious financial difficulties. On October 11, 2001, the company had to file for bankruptcy protection. This meant they needed help from the court to reorganize their business.
Within a year, most of the company, including the "Polaroid" name, was sold to a company called Bank One's One Equity Partners. This new company then used the name Polaroid Corporation. Many people were upset because the company's leaders received large bonuses, but regular employees and stockholders lost their investments.
Experts say Polaroid's problems were mainly because its leaders didn't see how much digital cameras would change the photography business. This is sometimes called a "success trap," where a company is so focused on its old success that it misses new trends.
The Polaroid Brand Lives On
After the bankruptcy, the Polaroid brand was used for many other products. You could find Polaroid-branded LCD TVs and portable DVD players.
In 2005, a company called Petters Group Worldwide bought the Polaroid brand. This company was known for buying famous but struggling brands. In 2007, they stopped making Polaroid cameras. By 2009, they stopped selling Polaroid film. This made many loyal fans sad.
In 2008, the company that owned Polaroid at the time also filed for bankruptcy. This happened after a criminal investigation involving its owner, Tom Petters.
New Owners for Polaroid
In 2009, a company called Patriarch Partners won an auction to buy Polaroid's assets. This included the company's name and its collection of photos. But there were some legal disagreements.
Eventually, a joint venture between Gordon Brothers Brands LLC and Hilco Consumer Capital LP bought Polaroid Corporation. They formed a new parent company called PLR IP Holdings, LLC. They kept many of the employees.
In 2009, this new company made a deal with Summit Global Group. This company would make and sell Polaroid-branded digital cameras and other mobile products. In 2010, Polaroid even hired pop star Lady Gaga as their "Creative Director" for a while.
Polaroid Today: A New Chapter
In 2017, a Polish investor named Wiaczesław "Slava" Smołokowski bought PLR IP Holdings, LLC. He was already a major investor in a company called Impossible Project. This company had started making new instant film for old Polaroid cameras after the original company stopped.
Because of this purchase, the Impossible Project changed its name to Polaroid Originals. The factory in the Netherlands that made the film also got the new name.
By 2019, the new polaroid.com website showed instant cameras and film from Polaroid Originals. It also showed other products like digital cameras, sunglasses, and TVs. In March 2020, Polaroid Originals officially changed its name to just Polaroid. The Polaroid Now was the first instant camera in years to carry the main Polaroid brand name.
Bringing Old Cameras Back to Life
Today, companies like Polaroid B.V. and MiNT Camera fix and update classic Polaroid cameras. Some even change the cameras to add new features. For example, they can change an old Polaroid SX-70 camera to use the more common Polaroid 600 film.
Other Things Polaroid Did
Mobile Photo Printers
In 2008, Polaroid released a small instant photo printer called the PoGo. It could print 2x3 inch photos. It used a special technology called Zink ("zero ink"). This technology has the colors embedded right in the photo paper.
Later, in 2009, they released a PoGo that was a 5-megapixel digital camera combined with a Zink printer. In 2011, they released the Polaroid GL10 Instant Mobile Printer. This printer, designed with Lady Gaga, let people print photos directly from their phones or digital cameras.
Digital Cameras and Action Cameras
Polaroid also made other digital cameras without printers, like the t1035, a 10-megapixel camera.
In 2012, Polaroid announced a "smart camera" called the Polaroid SC1630. It ran on Google Android. This camera was like a mix of a camera and a portable media player. You could take photos, download apps, check email, and browse the web. It had a 16 MP camera with 3X optical zoom.
In 2014, Polaroid introduced a small, affordable action camera called the "Polaroid Cube." It was a simpler option for people who wanted a camera like a GoPro but for more casual use.
The Return of Polaroid Film
On February 8, 2008, Polaroid announced it would stop making analog instant film. But fans didn't give up!
Since March 2010, new instant film for old Polaroid cameras has been available. It's made by a group called The Impossible Project. They even used the old Polaroid film factory in the Netherlands.
A photographer named Florian Kaps bought many of the remaining film packages. He worked with André Bosman, a former head of film production at Polaroid. They planned to redesign the film system. They raised money and started The Impossible Project.
In 2010, Impossible released black-and-white films for SX-70 and 600 cameras. Color films followed in 2010 and 2011.
Impossible also released new cameras. In 2016, they released the Impossible I-1. In 2017, after rebranding to Polaroid Originals, they released the OneStep 2. This camera looked like the original Polaroid OneStep but had new features and used the new I-type film.
In 2012, a documentary called "Time Zero: The Last Year of Polaroid Film" was released. It tells the story of Polaroid film, how it became popular, almost disappeared, and then came back thanks to dedicated fans.
Images for kids
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The Polaroid SX-70, manufactured by Polaroid Corporation from 1972 to 1981.
See also
- List of Polaroid instant cameras
- Polacolor
- Polaroid (polarizer) – a light-polarizing material developed by Edwin H. Land
- Polaroid Eyewear
- Success trap
- Zink (technology)
