Here’s some interesting Jewish history behind photography. Did you know that Anatol Marco Josepho, a Jewish immigrant, introduced the first-ever photo booth in the U.S. in 1925? This small booth, which captures a series of images, was one of many groundbreaking contributions to photography by Jewish inventors.
Edwin Herbert Land, whose grandparents were Russian immigrants fleeing pogroms, revolutionized photography by developing the first instant camera and founding the Polaroid Corporation in 1937. Before digital photos, people had to wait for film to be processed before seeing an image. The Polaroid camera used instant film and development technology.
Philippe Kahn introduced the first camera phone in 1997. Born to a French Jewish family, Kahn was deeply influenced by his mother, an Auschwitz survivor, who instilled in him a strong work ethic. Upon the birth of his child, Kahn wanted to capture the moment to share instantly with family and friends. Thus, the camera phone – and Kahn’s daughter – were both born.
Photo: Kahn’s daughter, the first official camera phone image.
