Eastman, George (1854-1932), was an American businessman and inventor. He made photography accessible to amateurs by introducing the low-cost, easy-to-operate Kodak camera and the roll of film.
Eastman was born on July 12, 1854, in Waterville, New York. His family moved to Rochester, New York, in 1860. There, he developed a dry photographic plate, which he began manufacturing in 1880. In 1888, Eastman introduced the Kodak. This lightweight, box-shaped camera contained film wound on rollers, eliminating the need for glass photographic plates. By the early 1900’s, the Eastman Kodak Company had become the largest photographic film and camera producer in the world. Research and technical improvements helped keep Eastman ahead of his competitors. Eastman died on March 14, 1932.
See also Photography (The beginnings of modern photography).
