The first photo booth caused absolute chaos in NYC. In 1926, people were literally lining up down the block and staying out until 4 A.M. to squeeze into the “Photomaton,” a machine that could spit out 8 portraits in just 8 minutes. The inventor was Anatol Josepho (born Josephewitz), a Jewish immigrant from Siberia who dreamed of making photography fast, affordable, and accessible to everyone. While running a photo studio in Shanghai, Josepho came up with a radical idea for the 1920s: a machine that could take professional portraits automatically in just minutes. He moved to New York, raised $11,000 from family and friends, and built the first prototype in a Harlem loft.
Just one year later, Josepho sold the invention for $1 million (more than $18 million today). But instead of cashing out quietly, he used the money to give back: half went to charity, and the other half was dedicated to helping struggling inventors and future innovators, including at the Technion Inspired by its focus on innovation, Josepho became a supporter of the university, and in 1971, the Josepho Industrial Research Center was dedicated at the Technion, helping fuel the next generation of world-changing invention.
Source: American Technion Society
