Edwin H. Land was born on the 7th of May in 1909 and he died on the 1st of March in 1991.
He was an American scientist and inventor, famously known as the co-funder of Polaroid Corporation. He was the inventor of inexpensive filters for polarising light, a practical system of in-camera instant photography and the retinex theory of colour theory. Edwin's Polaroid instant camera went on sale in late 1948 and with it came the possibility for a photograph to be taken and developed in 60 seconds or less. When Edwin was growing up, he would often take apart household appliances such as a mantel clock, gramophone and phonograph, to which his father was not very pleased, although he vowed that "nothing or nobody could stop me from carrying through the execution of an experiment" |
He studied physics at Harvard University more specifically, optics, but left after his freshman year, moving to New York City.
There he invented the first inexpensive filters capable of polarising light, which he called Polaroid Film.
He was not associated with an educational institution and lacked the tools of a proper laboratory, making this a difficult endeavour, so he would sneak into a laboratory at Columbia University late at night to use their equipment.
He would also go to New York Public Library to scour the prior work on polarising substances in scientific literature books.
His breakthrough came to mind when he realised that instead f attempting to grow one large single crystal of a polarising substance, he could manufacture a film with millions of micron-sized polarising crystals, that were coaxed into perfect alignment with each other.
Edwin returned to Harvard University after developing the polarising flm, although he did not complete his studies or receive any type of degree, despite this he was still referred to as Dr. Land.
In 1932, Edwin established the Land-Wheelwright Laboratories together with his Harvard physics instructor, George Wheelwright III.
George came from a wealthy family and so he agreed to fund the company.
The company was renamed the Polaroid Corporation in 1937.
There he invented the first inexpensive filters capable of polarising light, which he called Polaroid Film.
He was not associated with an educational institution and lacked the tools of a proper laboratory, making this a difficult endeavour, so he would sneak into a laboratory at Columbia University late at night to use their equipment.
He would also go to New York Public Library to scour the prior work on polarising substances in scientific literature books.
His breakthrough came to mind when he realised that instead f attempting to grow one large single crystal of a polarising substance, he could manufacture a film with millions of micron-sized polarising crystals, that were coaxed into perfect alignment with each other.
Edwin returned to Harvard University after developing the polarising flm, although he did not complete his studies or receive any type of degree, despite this he was still referred to as Dr. Land.
In 1932, Edwin established the Land-Wheelwright Laboratories together with his Harvard physics instructor, George Wheelwright III.
George came from a wealthy family and so he agreed to fund the company.
The company was renamed the Polaroid Corporation in 1937.