| Photography history and the development of "Kodak":
In 1886, George Eastman designed and patented the box camera for a standard film roll, estimated for forty eight 4 x 5 inch sized negatives, with focusing optics and named the "Alligator Shutter", which did not work well. Two years later, he developed an amateur camera, which was quite good for that time, and gave it a name "Kodak", which has been a synonym for "camera" since then. The camera "Kodak" was a small box ( hence, the name "detective camera"), just more than 6 inches in length and 3.5 inches in breadth and less than 4 inches in height.
Everyone could operate the camera after going through the user's manual : 1. Aim at an object to be photographed. 2. Press the button. 3. Turn the key. 4.Pull the cord.
"Kodak" № 1 was not a tiny camera. It had a lens, which gave a circular image in 2.25 inch diameter on film. 100 shots were made available on the film roll. When the entire roll was exhausted, then the camera was sent by mail back to Eastman, who returned the camera, charged with a new roll and also hundred prints, pasted on cardboard (or as many photos according to the number of good negatives), received on the first roll - and the entire process cost was 10 dollars.
And purchasing for the first time, a loaded camera's cost was 25 dollars.
George Eastman's slogan - "You press the button - We do the rest" - explains the occurrence of the first affordable art, which won global popularity.
The word "Kodak":
George Eastman said that, the trade mark should be: short, have unequivocal perusal, should not associate with something other than Kodak.
Presumably, the word "Kodak" was suggested by David Houston. Houston was born in North Dakota ( abbreviated form was "NoDak"). He was a friend of Eastman, an amateur photographer and an innovator. The Kodak company acquired patents on cameras from Houston.
K was the favorite alphabet letter of Eastman. He said it was a "strong, penetrating letter".
Absorption of other companies:
* Kodak Retina 1b camera. It was manufactured by company Kodak AG - previously Nagel.
In different years, company Kodak acquired the companies:
* American Camera, Massachusetts. It was absorbed by Kodak in 1898 & shifted to Rochester.
* Boston Camera Manufacturing Company. In 1890, Boston Camera Co was absorbed by company Blair Camera Co. In 1899, Blair Camera was absorbed by Kodak.
* Rochester Optical Co. Since 1899, Rochester Camera and Supply Co. - manufacturer of lens & cameras. It was absorbed by Kodak in 1903.
* Graflex, USA. From 1907 till 1926, the company was division of Eastman Kodak.
* Century Camera Co., Rochester, USA. From 1908 to 1920, the company was a division of Eastman Kodak.
* Nagel, Stuttgart, Germany. It was absorbed by Kodak in 1931. Kodak AG was created on the foundation of Nagel.
* Fotografiska AB, Gothenburg, Sweden - Swedish distributor of Kodak. In 1966, it was sold to Kodak by Victor Hasselblad.
* ENCAD, Inc., San Diego, USA - manufacturer of large-format ink-jet printers. It was absorbed by Kodak on November 15, 2001.
* Ofoto, Inc, California, USA - online photo service. It was absorbed by Kodak in 2001.
* Laser-Pacific Media Corporation, California, USA - post-production service for film studios (manufacture of DVD etc.).
* Scitex Digital Printing, USA - manufacturer of high-speed ink-jet printers. It was absorbed by Kodak in 2003.
* Applied Science Fiction Technologies, Austin, USA - developer of scanning technology of film roll Digital ICE. It was absorbed by Kodak in 2003.
* Imaging business of National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, USA - manufacturer of sensors for matrixes of digital cameras. It was absorbed by Kodak in 2004.
* Chinon Industries, Japan. In 2004, the company was absorbed by Kodak Japan.
* Creo Inc., Canada. It was absorbed by Kodak in 2005.
Company products:
Company manufactures (manufactured):
* Photographic and film rolls. For amateurs & professionals.
* Photographic paper. In 2005, the company announced about stopping the production of black-and-white photographic paper.
* Film-roll cameras. In 2004, the company stopped the marketing of film-roll cameras in USA, Canada and Western Europe. Production of APS cameras was stopped in the end of 2005. In 2005 - 2006, the licence for the production of film cameras was transferred to the company Vivitar. Since 2007, licence for the production of film cameras was not issued. The company continues to manufacture film rolls of various lesser known formats.
* Lens. Till 1914, the Eastman Kodak company had fitted elementary lenses or lens by foreign manufacturers, for example, Rapid Rectilinear lens of Bausch and Lomb in their cameras. Eastman Kodak manufactured lenses not only for cameras but also for projectors, enlargers, slide projectors etc.
* Digital photo frameworks are being manufactured since the end of 2000.
* Cameras for instant photo. Kodak was the single manufacturer of film for Polaroid cameras from 1963 to 1969. The patent dispute between Polaroid and Kodak was resolved on January 9, 1986.
* Digital cameras. For Kodak, many early digital cameras were developed and manufactured by the Japanese company "Chinon Industries".
* Matrixes for digital cameras.
* Cinema and TV-show.
* Desktop ink-jet printers and cartridges for printers. In 1999, a joint venture was created with company Lexmark.
* Industrial systems of ink-jet and electro-sensitive printing
* Devices STR and consumables for them. Scanners
Ecology:
Eastman Kodak is considered as one of the largest pollutants of the environment in the USA. In 2008, in NewYork, Kodak occupied first place among the corporations for emission volumes into the atmosphere and water. |
