january 1
Flashback Friday: Kodak 1888
One-hundred, thirty-two years ago, today, inventor George Eastman received a patent (number 388,850) for [the shutter of a roll-film hand camera] and the trademark (number 15,825) for the Kodak name […].
Birth of a Company
In 1879, London was the center of the photographic and business world. George Eastman went there to obtain a patent on his plate-coating machine. An American patent was granted the following year. In April 1880, Eastman leased the third floor of a building on State Street in Rochester and began to manufacture dry plates for sale. Success of the dry plate venture so impressed businessman Henry A. Strong, that he invested some money in the infant concern. On January 1, 1881, Eastman and Strong formed a partnership called The Eastman Dry Plate Company. While actively managing all phases of the firm’s activities, [Eastman] continued research in an effort to simplify photography.
In 1883, Eastman startled the trade with the announcement of film in rolls, with the roll holder adaptable to nearly every plate camera on the market. [By] 1884, the Eastman-Strong partnership had given way to a new firm…the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company with 14 shareowners.
George Eastman History
KodakBuilding the Foundation
Web Archive
The immediate triumph of the camera prompted Eastman to change the name of his company from Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company to Eastman Kodak Company in 1892.
My very first camera was a late 70s Kodak Instamatic with 126 film. It was a gift from my paternal grandmother and it got a lot of use. ~Vic
Additional Reading & Sources:
From The Camera Obscura To The Revolutionary Kodak (Eastman Museum)
Kodak History (Kodak Company)
Kodak Wikipedia
National Hangover Day
January 1 has three celebrations with New Year’s Day being the most obvious. It is also National Hangover Day, a time of global suffering after the New Year’s Eve parties all over the planet. Loud snoring, moans, groans, staggering and heaving noises can be heard in nearly every neighborhood. Lost cars, car keys, phones, glasses, shoes and, quite possibly, underwear befuddle the squinty-eyed masses. Trashcans overflowing with bottles, cans and party favors litter cities worldwide and returning garbage workers will, collectively, curse tomorrow, many still suffering from their own hangovers. It’s a great time to be alive. The folks at National Day Calendar have graciously provided everyone with a list of symptoms, preventive measures and cures.
At a get together at the Oven and Tap, a restaurant in Bentonville, Arkansas, in October of 2015, people were talking about National Days. The conversation then turned to what day on the calendar had little or no National Days attached to it. When it was announced that January 1 was only known as New Year’s Day, Keegan Calligar and Marlo Anderson both stated, simultaneously, that it should be National Hangover Day.
National Hangover Day was submitted by Keegan Calligar and Marlo Anderson in October 2015. The day was approved by the registrar of National Day Calendar in November of 2015.
Also celebrated:
National Bloody Mary Day (How àpropos…)
Cheers and enjoy!
Tune Tuesday: The Charleston 1924
Ninety-five years ago, today, (as best as I can tell) the #1 song playing was The Charleston. Composed by James P. Johnson with lyrics by Cecil Mack, it was originally featured in the Broadway musical Runnin’ Wild that premiered in New York on October 29, 1923. It was first recorded by Arthur Gibbs & His Gang and was released November 23, 1923.
This is some fancy foot work.