From Boxed Brownie to Boxed USB Memory Sticks

>your photos, instead you had to wait until your film had
Normal 0been developed and printed before you could see
In the same way that the Box Brownie revolutionisedwhat pictures you had taken.
photography in the early 20th Centaury the introductionIn the same way that the Box Brownie revolutionised
of digital image technology, digital cameras and mobilephotography in the early 20th Centaury the introduction
phones with integrated cameras has revolutionisedof digital image technology, digital cameras and mobile
photography 100 years later. Today pretty much everyphones with integrated cameras has revolutionised
mobile phone can take good quality photos and thesephotography 100 years later. Today pretty much every
can be posted onto web sites and social networksmobile phone can take good quality photos and these
sites within seconds and shared around the world.can be posted onto web sites and social networks
Normal 0sites within seconds and shared around the world.
Eastman Kodak introduced the first Box Brownie inIt’s not just the amateur photographer that has
February 1900 and in doing so they opened upswitched to digital photographic technology but
photography to the masses. The Brownie was aprofessional photographers now typically use digital
pretty basic cardboard box with a simple lens thatcameras rather than their film based alternatives. One
took pictures on 117 rollfilm. It was simple to use, cheapof the benefits for Professional Photographers of this
at $1 per camera and its launch was backed by adigital revolution is their ability to save and distribute
marketing campaign that encouraged everyone to picktheir portfolios electronically. This applies not only to
up a camera and take “snaps”.how they save and store their own work but
During its lifetime hundreds of millions of Box Browniesincreasingly to how they save and distribute their client
were sold. Of course of the years it went through a“shoots”, portfolios and wedding photos.
number of design changes and technologyFor some they will simply email the photos or post
“upgrades” but the fundamental box shapethem on a web site to be “downloaded”. Others
remained.might supply them on a CD or DVD but one of the
It would be fair to say that the Box Brownie will havemore recent and innovative trends is to distribute them
introduced many Professional Photographers duringon a USB flash drive printed up with the logo and
the early 20th Centaury to their profession. It also haddetails of the photographer. The “branded” USB
a huge impact on our ability to chart social historyflash drives look much more professional than a CD or
through the snapshots that were taken with theDVD and help to promote and develop the
Brownie.photographers brand — they in effect become
Whilst the Brownie brought photography to thea sales vehicle in their own right and they personify
masses it still relied on roll-film technology that neededjust how much the world of photography has moved
processing using chemicals and a fair degree of skill.on from the early days of the Boxed Brownie.
With roll film there was never any ability to preview