George Eastman

George Eastman is also the name of an Italian actor, to see George Eastman (actor).

George Eastman is an American industrialist born in Waterville (NR. Y.) the July 12th 1854 and died in Rochester (N.Y.) the March 14th 1932.

Biography

After workhaving briefly worked in the sector of the insurances and the bank, Eastman improved the manufacture of the dry photographic plates (in 1880) and launched out in their industrial production. In 1888, it launched on the market the first camera of its design under the mark Kodak , term which it created for the circumstance. He sought a simple, striking, pronounceable word in all the languages.

“Kodak” was an portable unit with the hand, very simple, charged with a paper roller negative for 100 sights. The user was to return it to the manufacturer after having exhausted his 100 sights, and it received it in return, charged with a new roller the negative ones and accompanied by pullings by the preceding photographs. The slogan remained famous of the Eastman Dry Plates and Film Company was then: “ You close the short prop, we C the rest . ”

In 1889, Eastman will introduce film on transparent basis whose principle hardly varied since.

In 1892, Eastman reorganizes its company in Eastman Kodak Company , and in 1900 it puts on the market the “Brownie”, apparatus intended for the children and sold 1 dollar.

The success of Eastman Kodak was considerable and, in 1927, it will hold practically the monopoly of photographic industry in the USA.

About the Thirties, Eastman was reached of a disease of the Spinal column which threatened to make it handicapped to life. Not being able to support this idea, it committed suicide in 1932 by drawing a ball in the heart, leaving behind him a written message: " My work is accomplished. Why wait? "

Patronage and industrial relations policy

Eastman separated from half of its fortune in 1924. Its gifts reached the entire amount of 75 000 000 of dollars whose principal recipients were the University of Rochester and the Massachusetts Institute off Technology (M.I.T.) of Boston.

It was also one of the first industrialists to distribute part of its benefit to its employees in the form of production bonuses.

Its house, the George Eastman House is now a center of files and a museum of the photography of world reputation.

Ironically, Eastman hated that one takes it in photograph.

External bonds

the site of George Eastman House
the site of Kodak

Sources

Encyclopedia Britannica

Time-Life encyclopedia of photography

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