George Eastman

Hello, my name is George Eastman. I was born a long time ago, on July 12th, 1854, in a small town called Waterville, New York. Life wasn't always easy for my family. After my father passed away, we struggled with money, and I had to leave school when I was only 14 years old to get a job and help out. My journey into the world of pictures began in 1877. I was planning a trip and decided to buy a camera to capture the memories. But I was shocked when I saw it. The camera was huge and clumsy, and using it was a very messy process. I knew right then that there had to be a better, simpler way for everyone to take photographs.

In those days, taking a picture was a big production. Cameras were the size of a microwave oven. They used heavy, fragile glass plates that had to be coated with wet chemicals right before you took a picture. You even needed to carry a dark tent with you just to prepare them. It was complicated and expensive, and I was determined to change that. I spent many nights working in my mother's kitchen, experimenting with different ideas. After a lot of hard work, I invented a machine that could prepare something called 'dry plates.' These were much easier to handle than the messy wet plates. In 1881, I was so sure of my invention that I started my very own business, the Eastman Dry Plate Company, to sell them to other photographers.

My dry plates were a good start, but I had an even bigger idea. I wanted to get rid of the heavy glass plates completely. In 1884, I patented a new invention: a flexible roll of film. This film could be rolled up, which meant cameras could be made much smaller and lighter. This led to my most famous creation. In 1888, I introduced the world to the very first Kodak camera. It was a simple little box that was easy for anyone to carry and use. It came loaded with enough film to take 100 pictures. To make it even easier, I came up with a slogan: 'You Press the Button, We Do the Rest.' When you finished your 100 photos, you just mailed the entire camera back to my company in Rochester, New York. We would develop the film, print your pictures, and send them back to you along with your camera, freshly loaded with a new roll of film.

My little camera was a huge success. People loved how easy it was to capture their own memories. In 1892, I renamed my business the Eastman Kodak Company, and it just kept growing. It was very important to me that my company was not just successful, but also a wonderful place to work. I truly believed that the people who helped me build the company should be rewarded for their hard work and dedication. So, I decided to do something that was very unusual for business owners at the time. I gave my workers a share of the company's profits. This meant that when the company did well, everyone who worked there benefited, not just me.

Looking back, my main goal was always to make photography as easy and common as using a pencil, and I think I accomplished that. My inventions allowed families everywhere to keep a record of their lives and their happiest moments. As my company became successful, I also wanted to use the money I earned to help others. I gave large amounts of money to universities, schools, and hospitals because I believed in the power of education and good health. I lived to be 77 years old, and my life came to an end on March 14th, 1932. Today, people remember me for making photography accessible to everyone, allowing countless special memories to be captured forever with the simple click of a button.