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PRESENTING HISTORY'S BEST ON PBS.
THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, WINNER OF THE PRIME-TIME EMMY.
TONIGHT-- HE PUT A CAMERA IN EVERYONE'S HANDS
AND CHANGED THE WAY WE SEE THE WORLD.
A FATHERLESS BOY, A HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT...
HE OVERCAME EMBARRASSING FAILURES
AND HIS OWN INSECURIES
TO BUILD A GLOBAL PHOTOGRAPHIC EMPIRE.
MAN,
TONIGHT ON THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
.
AT WOULD YOU TRY TO SAVE FIRST IF THE HOUSE WERE ON FIRE?
THE MO COMMON ANSWER IS THE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS.
IKE
SUCH IS THEIR PLACE IN OUR LIVES.
WE SAVE THEM IN ALBUMS, WE CARRY THEM IN OUR WALLETS
WE PUT THEM IN FRAMES
ARRANGE THEM ON ESSER TOPS AND OFFICE DESKS:
THE WIFE, THE HUSBAND, THE NEW BABY
THE BIGGEST FISH OF THE SUMMER.
YET THIS WASN'T ALWAYS THE WAY IN AMERICAN LIFE--
NOT BEFORE YOUNG GEORGE EASTMAN OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
SET TO WORK ON SIMPLIFYING THE APPARATUS OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
HE CAME UP WITH THE FAMOUS KODAK CAMERA.
A BRILLIANT INNOVATOR IN A GREAT AGE OF AMERICAN INNOVATION
EASTMAN-- LIKE EDISON, BELL, H.J. HEINZ--
CHANGED HOW WE LIVE.
WITH THE KODAK, AND EVEN MORE WITH THE UBIQUOUS BROWNIE
EVERYONE COULD MAKE A PICTURE, A SNAPSHOT
FOR THE RECORD, FOR THE FUN OF IT, AND WITH NO FUSS.
EVERYONE AND ANYONE COULD BE CREATIVE
IN A WAY NEVER BEFORE POSSIBLE.
THE EASTMAN STORY IS THE STUFF OF LEGEND.
SON
WHO STARTED OFF AS A THREE-DOLLAR-A-WEEK CLERK
AND BY DINT HARD WORK AND PHENOMENAL DETERMINATION
ROSE TO VAST FAME AND WEALTH.
BUT HE WAS ALSO
A SOLITARY, DECIDEDLY DIFFERENT KIND OF INDUSTRIAL GIANT
WHO, ON THE ONE HAND, HIRED PINKERTON AGENTS
TO SPY ON HIS OWN SALESMEN, AND WHO, ON THE OTR HAND
INTRODUCED THE FIRST PROFITHANG PLAN.
AND, OH, WAS HE METHODICAL.
ONCE, TO LEARN COOKING
HE BEGAN BY TRYING EVERY KNOWN RECIPE FOR EGGS.
"THE WIZARD OF PHOTOAPHY" BY PRODUCER JAMES DeVINNEY.
Narrator: IN 1857
A THREE-YEAR-OLD BOY WAITED TO HAVE HIS PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN
FASCINATED BY THE SCENE BEFORE HIM.
THE SMELL OF CHEMICALS FILLED THE AIR.
A STRANGER TOLD A WOMAN NOT TO MOVE
AND MADE SURE SHE DIDN'T.
Man: SO PHOTOGRAPHERS WERE VERY ADEPT AND ARTFUL
IN THEIR PUTTING THE SITTER AT EASE.
OTHERS HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE ART OF THAT
AND JUST PLUNKED PEOPLE DOWN.
YOU WERE TOLD TO HOLD STILL
AND HOW LONG THE EXPOSURE WOULD TAKE--
WHICH MAY BE ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO SIX OR EIGHT SECONDS--
AND THE MENT OF THE SHUTTER OR T CAP BEING REMOVED:
"ALL RIGHT NOW, I'M READY.
"HOLD STILL, ASSUME A PLEASANT EXPRESSION.
HERE WE GO."
ONE SECOND... TWO SECONDS... THREE SECONDS... FOUR SECONDS.
USUALLY DURING THAT TIME, YOUR MIND IS GOING "HMM..."
AND KEEPING FROM MOVING
DURING THE ACT OF THINKING DIFFERENT THOUGHTS
WAS A CHALLENGE TO THE SITTE
Narrator: FINALLY, IT WAS THE BOY'S TURN.
STRAPPED INTO THE CHAIR SO HE COULDN'T MOVE
HE STARED SUSPICIOUSLY.
HIS NAME WAS GEORGE EASTMAN.
30 YEARS LATER, HE WOULD MAKE A CAMERA SO SIMPLE
THAT EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD COULD USE IT.
FIRST HE HAD TO OVERCOME FIERCE COMPETITION
AND EMBARRASSING FAILURES AS HE STRUGGLED
TO MAKE PHOTOGRAPHY EASY AND AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE.
IN THE PROCESS
HE FOREVER CHANGED THE WAY PEOPLE SEE THEIR WORLD.
Narrator: IN 1877, GEORGE EASTMAN, A 23-YEAR-OLD JUNIOR BOOKKEEPER
WALKED INTO A PHOTO SUPPLY STORE IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.
HE WAS LOOKING FOR A CAMERA
TO TAKE PICTURES OF LAND HE WANTED TO BUY.
Woman: AS HE WORKED AT THE BANK, HE REALIZED
THAT MANY OF THE WEALTHY DEPOSITORS IN THE BANK
WERE ALL INVOLVED WITH REAL ESTATE
IN ONE WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, AND SO I THINK HE DECIDED
THAT GETTING INTO SOME REAL ESTATE DEALS HIMSELF
MIGHT BE A WAY TO MAKE SOME MORE MONEY.
Narrator: EASTMAN HAD NEVER TAKEN A PICTURE BEFORE
AND THE NEW CAMERA PROVED HARDER TO USE THAN HE EXPECTED.
Eastman ( dramatized ): I COULD DO NOTHING WITH MY FIRST OUTFIT
D HER
FIVE DOLLARS TO GIVE ME LESSONS.
THE BULK OF THE PARAPHERNALIA WORRIED ME...
CAMERA ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SOAPBOX...
A TRIPOD WHICH WAS STRONG AND HEAVY ENOUGH
TO SUPPORT A BUNGALOW...
A G PLATE HOLDER, A DARK TENT
A NITRATE BATH AND A CONTAINER FOR WATER.
Narrator: TO TAKE A SINGLE PICTURE
PHOTOGRAPHERS HAD TO POUR LAYERS OF CHEMICALS OVER A GLASS PLATE
FORMING A LIGHT-SENSITIVE EMULSION.
BECAUSE THE PICTURE HAD TO BE TAKEN BEFORE THE EMULSION DRIED
THE PROCESS WAS CALLED WET-PLATE PHOTOGRAPHY.
DESPITE THE CUMBERSOME PROCESS
EARLY PHOTOGRAPHERS MANAGED TO TRAVEL THROHOUT THE WORLD
AND RETURN WITH EXQUISITE PHOTOGRAPHS.
IN ROCHESTER, GEORGE EASTMAN STGGLED TO TAKE A PICTURE
OF THE GENESEE RER.
BUT CARRYING THOSE CHEMICALS WAS MESSY AND THEY WERHARD TO USE.
HE FELT THERE HAD TO BE A BETTER WAY.
( crickets chirping )
EACH EVENING, HE SPENT HOURS
STUDYING INTERNATIONAL PHOTO JOURNALS.
HE DISCOVERED THAT BRITISH PHOTOGRAPHERS WERE EXPERIMENTING
WITH DRY PLATES--
PRECOATED SO THE CHEMICALS COULD BE LEFT AT HE.
EASTMAN HAD STUMBL ONTO SOMETHING
THAT FEW AMERICANS KNEW ABOU
THE STANDARD PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE NOT AS INFORMED
OF THE BRITISH JOURNALS AND SO ON
AND THEY ARE WELL WEDDED TO THE OLD WAY OF DOING PHOTOGRAPHY.
BUT HERE'S THIS YOUNG NOVICE
HAVING TROUBLE, STRUGGLING WITH THE TECHNOLOGY
AND HERE'S THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY, AND IT JUST DRAWS HIM.
IS?"
Narrator: EASTMAN WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE HIS OWN DRY PLATES
EVEN THOUGH HE WAS A SCHOOL DROPOUT
WHO HAD NEVER STUDIED CHEMISTRY.
GEORGE EASTMAN WAS BORN IN 1854 IN WATERVILLE
A SMALL VILLAGE IN EASTERN NEW YORK.
HE WAS THE YOUNGEST OF THREE CHILDREN AND THE ONLY BOY
BORN TO MARIA KILBOURN AND GEORGE WASHINGTON EASTN.
GEORGE'S FATHER RAN TWO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES.
IN WATERVILLE, HIS NURSERY SOLD ROSES AND FRUIT TREES.
EACH WEEK, HE COMMUTED 130 MILES WEST TO ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
WHERE HE OPENED A BUSINESS SCHOOL.
HE TAUGHT BOOKKEEPINAND PENMANSHIP.
WHEN GEORGE WAS THREE YEARS OLD, HIS FATHER'S HEALTH FAILED.
HE SOLD THE WATERVILLE FARM AND MOVED THE FAMILY TO ROCHESTER.
MARIA DIOVERED HER HUSBAND HAD LEFT NO MONEY.
Woman: MR. EASTMAN'S FATHER SHOULD HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL
IN THEUSINESS SCHOOL.
BUT AFTER HE DIED, THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT
AND IT WAS A GREAT SHOCK TO MARIA
THAT SHE HAD NOT BEEN PROVIDED FOR.
AND NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHERE THAT INCOME WENT.
Narrator: GEORGE WATCHED HIS MOTHER STRUGGLE TO SUPPORT HER FAMILY
BING
Connor: I THINK THAT WHEN YOU GROW UP
IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU HAVE A MOTHER AND FATHER
ME
AND YOU GO TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL
AND YOU HAVE BASICALLY ALL YOU NEED
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN TT IS SORT OF TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU
KIND OF QUICKLY, KIND OF SUDDENLY
WITHOUT ANY PREPARATION, IT PROBABLY GIVEYOU
THAT INBORN FEAR OF WANTING TO MAKE SURE
ALWAYS GH
THAT NOTHING IS A SURPRISE LIKE THAT AGAIN.
Narrator: WITH HIS MOTHER BUSY TAKING CARE OF BOARDERS
GEORGE OFTEN PLAYED ALONE.
BUT HE WAS HANDY AND MADE PUZZLES AND TOYS
TOMUSE HIMSELF.
Connor: HE WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL WITH ONE OF THESE LTLE TRINKETS
AND WAS PLAYING WITH IT DURING THE SERMON
BOYS
LIKED IT AND WANTED IT
AND HE TOLD HIM HE WOULDN'T PART WITH IT AT FIRST
AND HE STOPPED THE CONVERSATION.
AND THEN HE REALIZED, WELL, HE COULD MAKE ANOTHER ONE
AND HE COULD SELL IT AND MAKE SOME MONEY.
Narrator: MAKING MONEY GAVE YOUNG EASTMAN A SENSE OF IMPORTANCE.
IN 1868, AT AGE 14, HE QUIT SCHOOL
AND TOOK A JOB AS AN OFFICE BOY.
HE TRACKED EVERY DOLLAR HE EARNED AND SPENT
IN METICULOUS LEDGERS.
HE BECAME A BIT OF A DANDY:
HE BOUGHT FINE CLOTHES, TOOK DANCING LESSONS
AND ATTENDED LECTURE
IN 1875, EASTMAN BECAME JUNIOR BOOKKEEPER
AT THE ROCHESTER SAVINGS BANK.
BUT HE WANTED MORE.
STATE.
THESE INVEMENTS LAUNCHED A CASUAL INTEREST IN PHOTOGRAPHY--
AN INTEREST THAT SOON BECAME AN OBSESSION.
IN HIS MOTHER'S KITCHEN
HE STRUGGLED TO MAKE DRY PLATES LIKE THE ONES HE HAD READ ABOUT.
TER WORKING ALL DAY AT THE BANK
HE STAYED UP LATE EACH NIGHT, STIRRING CHEMICALS
POURING THEM ONTO GLASS PLATES, AND BAKING THEM IN THE OVEN.
MANY MORNINGS, HIS MOTHER FOUND HIM ASLEEP ON THE FLOOR.
HE TESTED HIS PLATES BY TAKING PICTURES OF THE HOUSE
ACROSS THE STREET.
A LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER SAW THESE PICTURES, BOUGHT THE PLATES
AND RECOMMENDED THEM TO THE ANTHONY COMPANY--
A
Man: ANTHONY IS A COMPANY THAT'S IN THE BUSINESS
OF MARKETING ON A NATIONAL LEVEL
AND DISTRIBUTING ON A NATIONAL LEVEL.
IT IS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR PEOPLE LIKE EASTMAN
PEOPLE WHO LOOK PROMISING
WHO HAVE PROMISING PRODUCTS IN THE PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS.
SO I SUPPOSE YOU COULD SAY
FROM EASTMAN'S POINT OF VIEW, IT'S A BREAK.
HE'S A YOUNG GUY; HE'S JUST GETTING STARTED IN THIS STUFF.
IT'S A BREAK FOR HIM TO GET A CONTCT WITH ANTHONY.
Narrator:
EASTMAN OPENED A DRY-PLATE FACTORY IN DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER
JANUARY OF 1881.
HE WAS 26 YEARS OLD.
INSTEAD OF PRESIDENT, HE CHOSE TO BE TREASURER OF HIS COMPANY
SO HE COULD KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE LEDGERS.
THE TREASURER WAS THE PERSON WHO HANDLED THE FINANCES
WAS IN CONTROL OF FINANCIAL DECISIONS
AND THE ACTUAL CARRYING OUT OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS
IM
Narrator: EACH MORNING AT 8:00
EASTMAN RODE HIS BICYCLE TO HIS DAY JOB AT THE BANK.
AT 3:00, HE HURRIED TO HIS FACTORY.
HE MADE ALL THE EMULSIONS HIMSELF
MING AND STIRRING LATE INTO THE NIGHT.
EVERY MORNING HE RETURNED TO THE BANK
HIS FINGERS STAINED BLACK FROM THE CHEMICALS.
"I'M GOING TO SUCCEED," HE VOWED.
EASTMAN WAS UP FOR A PROMOTION AT THE BANK.
WHEN THE JOB WAS GIVEN
ORS
HE WAS OUTRAGED AND QUIT IMMEDIATELY.
Brayer: ONE OF THE BANK OFFICIALS COMMENTED
WHEN EASTMAN QUIT HIS JOB THAT "WHAT A FOOLISH THING TO DO"
TO PURSUE THIS WILL-OF-A-WISP WHEN HE HAD
THIS WONDERFUL CAREER AS A BANKER AHEAD OF HIM.
Narrator: BY NOW HE HAD SIX EMPLOYEES
AND WAS SELLING $4,000 OF DRY PLATES EVERY MONTH.
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
GLADLY ABANDONED THEIR WET PLATES
IN FAVOR OF THIS NEW, EASIER METHOD.
BUT AS THE MKET INCREASED FOR DRY PLATES
SO DID THE COMPETITION.
T
EASTMAN COULDN'T MATCH THE NEW, IMPROVED EMULSIONS
THAT OTHER COMPANIES WERE NOW OFFERING.
HE HIRED HENRY REICHENBACH
A SCIENCE STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER.
Eastman: WE HAVE A YOUNG CHEMIST
WHO DEVOTES HIS TIME ENTIRELY TO EXPERIMENTS
AND WE HOPE HE WILL STRIKE THE RIGHT EMULSION
SOONER OR LATER.
HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY
WHICH IS ALL THE BETTER.
Narrator: EASTMAN WAS ALREADY AT WORK
ON A BOLD INNOVATION TO REPLACE GLASS PLATES.
HE THOUGHT HIS IDEA
PHY.
Man: IF YOUE USING A CAMERA OUT IN THE FIELD
AND ARE CARRYING MANY DRY PLATES
GLASS PLATES WITH YOU, THE PLATES BECOME RATHER HEAVY.
THEY'RE ALSO RATHER FRAGILE.
THEY COULD BREAK IF YOU DROPPED THEM.
Narrator: EASTMAN CREATED A LIGHTWEIGHT, ROLLABLE FILM
BY COATING PAPER WITH EMULSION.
THIS PAPER FILM FIT INTO ANOTHER INVENTION
A ROLL HOLDER THAT ATTACHED TO THE BACK OF A CAMERA.
PHOTOGRAPHERS WOULD NO LONGER HAVE TO TAKE PICTURES
ONE GLASS PLATE AT A TIME.
THEY COULD SIMPLY ROLL THE FILM
EASTMAN SHARED HIS YOUTHFUL OPTIMISM WITH COLLEAGUES.
"WE'LL BE READY TO SCOOP THE WORLD
IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS," BOASTED.
HE TOLD HIS MOTHER SHE WOULD NO LONGER HAVE TO TAKE IN BOARDERS.
IN THE SPRING OF 1885, EASTMAN INTRODUCED HIS ROLL HOLDER
AT A LONDON EXHIBIT FOR NEW INVENTIONS.
IT WON SEVERAL AWARDS.
UNFORTUNATELY, HOWEVER, THIS ENTHUSIASM
DIDN'T SEEM TO COMMUNICATE ITSELF TO PHOTOGRAPHERS AT LARGE
WHO, WHILST THEY ADMIRED THE ROLL HOLDER
DIDN'T ACTUALLY GO OUT THERE AND BUY IT.
SO WHILST IT WAS A CRITICAL SUCCESS
IT WAS BY NO MEANS A COMMERCIAL SUCCESS.
Jenkins: THE PROBLEM WAS
THE FILM WAS INADEQUATE, PROVIDED VERY, VERY WEAK IMAGES
THAT WERE NOT UP TO PROFESSION STDARDS WHATSOEVER.
PROFESSIONALS WERE WELL AWARE
OF THE WONDERFUL ROLL HOLDER TECHNOLOGY ITSELF
AILURE.
AND AS A RESULT, THE ROLL HOLDER WAS A FAILURE.
Narrator: FOR GEORGE EASTMAN
THIS REJECTION BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
WAS A STINGING DEFEAT.
Jenkins: HE HAD UNDOUBTEDLY BRAGGED TO ASSOCIATES
PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN ROCHESTER
WHO HAD SEEN HIM LEAVE THE BANK AND ALL OF THIS
AND HIS BUSINESS HAD NOT REALLY TAKEN OFF
AS HE HAD HOPED THAT IT WOULD WITH THE DRY PLATES
AND NOW HE HAD THE ROLL HOLDER
AND ALL THE PROMISE OF THE ROLL HOLDER
AND THE ROLL HOLDER FAILS, AND EASTMAN'S IN THE POSITION NOW:
Narrator: FOR A WHILE, EASTMAN'S COMPANY SURVIVED
BY PROVIDING PHOTO FISHING AND LLING PAPER TO PRINT PHOTOS.
IN 1887, EASTMAN TOOK STOCK OF WHAT HE HAD--
NESS
BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR SOMEONE WITH HIS AMBITION
AND A ROLL HOLDER THAT WAS HIGHLY ADMIRED
BUT REJECTED BY PROFESSIONALS.
EASTMAN STARTED THINKING
IF ORDINARY PEOPLE COULD TAKE PICTURES
MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T BE AS FUSSY.
HE CAME UP WITH A DRAMATIC INNOVATION
A CAMERA SO SIMPLE AT ANYONE COULD USE IT.
EASTMAN HIRED A NEARBY CABINETMAKER
TO BUILD A BOX FOR THE CAMERA'S BODY.
HE HAD LOCAL MACHINISTS MAKE A SHUTTER
IN A F
FOR THE LENS, HE TURNED TO A SMALL ROCHESTER OPTICAL SHOP
RUN BY GERMAN IMMIGRANTS NAMED BAUSCH AND LOMB.
BUT WOULD ANYONE BUY IT?
IN THE SUMMER OF 1888, ADS BEGAN TO APPEAR
FOR A CAMERA WITH AN UNUSUAL NAME-- THE KODAK.
NO ONE HAD EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.
( ratcheting )
( shutter clicks )
ARTS.
IT HAD A SHUTTER; THERWAS NO FOCUSING INVOLVED;
THERE WAS A LITTLE STRING THAT WOULD BE LIFTED UP
TO *** THE SHUTTER, A BUTTON TO RELEASE THE SHUTTER
AND A WINDING KEY ON THE TOP OF THE CAME.
THE ADVERTISING PHRASE THAT WENT WITH THE CAMERA WAS
"YOU PUSH THE BUTTON, WE DO THE REST."
AND BASICALLY THAT'S PRETTY MUCH HOW IT WORKED.
Narrator: THE KODAK HAD EASTMAN'S ROLL HOLDER BUILT INTO IT
LOADED WITH ENOUGH PAPER FILM TO TAKE 100 PICTURES.
WHEN THE ROLL WAS DONE
THE ENTIRE CAMERA WAS SHIPPED BACK TO ROCHESTER
WHERE THE FILM WAS DEVELOPED.
SEVERAL WEEKS LATER
THE PICTURES CAME BACK, MOUNTED ON CARDS
ALONG WITH THE KODAK, LOADED WITH MORE FILM.
SO FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE A SKILLED PHOTOGRAPHER
AND SKILLED IN THE DARKROOM
TO ACTUALLY MAKE YOUR OWN PHOTOGRAPHS.
Staudenmaier: AND I WOULD IMAGINE THE FIRST TAKE OF MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE
"COME ON! YOU CAN'T DO THAT."
BUT THEN THE PICTURES WOULD COME BACK.
IT
AND YOU SEE THE PICTURES, AND YOU BELIEVE.
IT'S AN INSTANT CONVERSION AS SOON AS YOU SEE THE PICTURES
AND YOU SAY, "MY GOODNESS."
Narrator: THE KODAK WAS EASY, NOT JUST FOR THE PERSON BEHIND THE CAMERA
THERE WAS NO COMPLICATED EQUIPMENT OR CHEMICALS
JUST SMALL BLACK BOX HELD BY SOMEONE THEY KNEW.
Staudenmaier ALL OF A SUDDEN
THIS LITTLE DEVICE MEANS YOU COULD GO INTO THE BACKYARD
YOU CAN TAKE A PICTURE OF THE BABIES
SPLASHING AROUND IN A MUD PUDDLE.
YOU CAN GO TO A PICNIC OR A BALL GAME, YOCAN DO IT
AND YOU KNOW HOW HARD THIS IS
BECAUSE YOU IN YOUR MEMORY HAVE SEEN
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THE HIDING OF THE PROFESSIONAL CHEMISTRY
INVOLVED IN PHOTOGRAPHY
IS A STROKE OF GIUS IN TERMS OF MARKETING.
Narrator: ANOTHER PART OF THE CAMERA'S APPEAL WAS ITS NAME.
Eastman: I DEVISED THE NAME MYSELF.
ULD BE
INCAPABLE OF BEING MISSPELLED.
IF THE NAME HAS NO DICTIONARY DEFINITION
TED
Woman: PEOPLE KNOW THE NAME.
THEY'VE HEARD THE NAME.
IT'S A PECULIAR NAME.
EVERYONE'S SAYING, "THE KODAK? WHAT IS THAT?" YOU KNOW.
PEOPLE ARE USING "KODAK" AS A VERB, AS AN ADJECTIVE
AS SOMETHING SYNONYMOUS WITH PHOTOGRAPHY ITSELF.
Narrator: THE PICTURES TAKEN BY THE NEW CAMERA
A N
A HUNTING TERM MEANING TO SHOOT A GUN WITHOUT AIMING.
IN FACT, THE KODAK HAD NO VIEWFINDER
AND COULDN'T BE AIMED ACCURATELY.
IT LOOKED SO UNLIKE LARGE STUDIO CAMERAS
THAT MANY PEOPLE DIDN'T REALIZE
THEIR PHOTOGRAPHS WERE BEING TAKEN.
( shutter ratcheting )
( shutter clicks )
( shutter ratcheting )
( shutter clicks )
Harding: THIS WAS SEEN AS A GREAT THREAT TO PERSONAL PRIVACY.
IN PARTICULAR, THERE WAS A THOUGHT
THAT PERHAPS CERTAIN PEOPLE
WHO BECAME KNOWN AS "CAMERA FIENDS" OR "PHOTOGRAPHIC FIENDS"
WOULD HANG AROUND BEACH RESORTS
AND THEY WOULD TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF WOMEN
AS THEY EMERGED FROM THE WAVES
WITH THEIR COSTUMES CLINGING TO THEIR BODIES.
( shutter ratcheting )
( shutter clicks )
( shutter ratcheting )
( shutter clicks )
( shutter ratcheting )
( shutter clicks )
Narrator: WITHIN A YEAR OF ITS INTRODUCTION
EASTMAN HAD SOLD 13,000 KODAKS.
HIS FACTORY WAS DEVELOPING
MORE THAN 6,000 PHOTOGRAPHS EVERY DAY.
HTED
WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE KODAK CAMERA.
AS SOON AS THE SALES BEGAN TO COME IN VERY EARLY ON
HE WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH IT
HE WAS JUST LIKE A LITTLE KID, JUST TICKLED.
( ship's horn blows )
Narrator: GEORGE EASTMAN TRAVELED TO EUROPE TO OPEN NEW STORES
SHOWING OFF HIS KODAK AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY.
ON ONE OF HIS TRIPS
HE MET AN AMERICAN COUPLE LIVING IN LONDON.
GEORGE DICKMAN WAS AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSMAN
WITH A WORLDLY STYLE.
HIS WIFE, JOSEPHINE, WAS A TRAINED SINGER.
EASTMAN FOUND HER CHARMING.
EASTMAN WAS AT EASE WITH THE COUPLE
EVEN THOUGH HE WAS QUITE AWKWARD SOCIALLY.
Jenkins: HE'S A VERY AGGRESSI PLANNER
VERY AGGRESSIVE IN HIS... HIS WHOLE APPROACH TO BUSINESS
AND YET ON THE SOCIASIDE HE SEEMS VERY SHY
SEEMS VERY EASILY INTIMIDATED BY A SOCIAL SETTING.
EASTMAN'S CLOSEST AND MOST TRUSTED FRIENDS.
THE
BEYOND ANYTHING HE HAD KNOWN.
Y
DINNERS AT PRIVATE CLUBS AND EVENINGS AT THE THEATER.
THEY HELPED HIM BUY ART AND ANTIQUES.
EASTMAN SOON NAMED DICKMAN MANAGER OF HIS LONDON OPERATION.
THE COMPANY WAS EXPANDING, BUT THE MARKET WAS LIMITED.
DESPITE THE KODAK'S POPULARITY
FEW COULD AFFORD IT.
Gustavson: ONE OF THE MAIN DISADVANTAGES OF THE ORIGINAL KODAK
IS THE FACT THAT IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE.
IT COST $25 IN 1888
THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT THREE MONTHS' WORKING WA
FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON.
SO IT'S REALLY VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE.
Harding: IT WAS AIMED VERY MUCH AT THOSE WHO WENT ON LONG HOLIDAYS
WHO TRAVELED, PEOPLE WHO WANTED A RECORD OF THEIR TRAVELS
COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE PHOTOGRAPHS.
SO THE KODAK WAS AIMED
VERY MUCH AT THE AFFLUENT MIDDLE CLASS OR THE UPPER CLASSES.
Narrator: ONE REASON THE KODAK WAS EXPENSIVE
WAS THE COMPLICATED AND TIME-CONSUMING PROCESS
NEEDED TO PRINT EACH PHOTO.
PRINTING PICTURES THROUGH THE PAPER BACKING
PRODUCED GRAINY PHOTOS.
TO IMPROVE QUALITY, THE EMULSION WAS STRIPPED FROM THE PAPER
EASTMAN KNEW IF HE COULD REPLACE THE PAPER WITH SOMETHING CLEAR
IT WOULD ELIMINATE THIS STEP.
HE AND REICHENBACH EXPERIMENTED WITH MATERIALS
MADE FROM WAX AND MOSS, EVEN SEAWEED.
NOTHING WORKED.
UNKNOWTO EASTMAN, A CLERGYMAN IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
WAS ALREADY A STEP AAD.
AS EARLY AS 1886, THE REVEREND HANNIBAL GOODWIN
WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH A TYPE OF PLASTIC CALLED CELLULOID.
GOODWIN'S HOBBY TROUBLED HIS CONGREGATION.
Woman: HANNIBAL GOODWIN WAS QUITE A TINKERER
ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF CHEMISTRY AND PHOTOGRAPHY.
THERE WAS A STRONG SENSE
OF THE DIGNITY REQUIRED OF A PRIEST OF GOD.
AND IT REALLY SEEMED INAPPROPRIATE
TO MANY OF THE PARISHIONERS, I GUESS
THAT HE WOULD HAVE STAINS ON HIS HAND
AND EVEN SOME ACID MARKS ON HIS CLOTHING.
Narrator: WORKING IN THE RECTORY'S ATTIC
GOODWIN MADE A TRANSPARENT FILM OF CELLULOID.
BY THIS TIME, HENRY REICHENBACH
WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH CELLULOID AS WELL.
ED.
IN 1889, TWO YEARS AFTER GOODWIN
STMAN APPLIED FOR HIS OWN PATENT.
BECAUSE REICHENBACH WAS MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT INGREDIENTS
THE EASTMAN COMPANY WAS ARDED A PATENT FOR TRANSPARENT FILM.
ON
CONVINCED THAT TRANSPARENT FILM WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS
EASTMAN BEGAN BUILDING A LARGE MANUFACTURING PLANT
ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF E CITY.
HE REWARDE REICHENBACH HANDMELY
GIVING HIM 50 SHARES OF STOCK
AND PUTTING HIM IN CHARGE OF WHAT WOULD BE CALLED KODAK PARK.
BUT WHEN THE NEW FACTORY COULDN'T PRODUCE FILM
FAST ENOUGH TO MEET DEMAND, EASTMAN FUMED.
Staudenmaier: THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE BOSS
OF A LARGE PRODUCTION FACILITY
SUCH AS EASTMAN IS BEGINNING TO BUILD IN ROCHESTER
AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE REASONS IS
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RUNNING THESE BIG FACTORIES
STILL LIKE SMALL SHOPS.
THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE
WITH MASSIVE LAYERS OF HIERARCHY IN A COMPANY.
Narrator: EASTMAN WAS NOT WELL LIKED AMONG EMPLOYEES.
HIS OFFICE W NEAR THE WOMEN'S BATHROOM.
IF THEY MADE TOO MANY TRIPS, THEY FELT HIDISAPPROVING GAZE.
HE EXPECTED THE OFFICE BOY
TO SHARPEN PENCILS IN A PARTICULAR WAY
AND INSTRUCTED JANITORS ON THE PROPER WAY TO USE A BROOM.
HE RARELY GAVE PISE AND WAS QUICK TO CRITICIZE.
WHEN HE FOUND FAULT WITH A WORKER, HE'D PULL HIS COAT BACK
PUT HIS HANDS IN HIS HIP POCKETS AND, ACCORDING TO ONE EMPLOYEE
CURSE "A WIDE BLUE STREAK."
HENRY REICHENBACH BECAME A SPECIAL TARGET.
Jenkins: REICHENBACH HAS A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY.
HE'S MANAGER OF KODAK PARK
AND HE HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EMULSION.
AND HE'S GOT FILM BATCHES THAT ARE GOING BAD.
Eastman: WHY CAN YOU NOT SUPPLY THIS FACTORY WITH EMULSION?
NEFF REPORTS TO ME THAT HE HAS HAD...
HAVE COVERS MADE AT ONCE FOR...
THERE ARE A LOT OF LIGHTS
THAT ARE NOT REQUIRED... CAN'T YOU GET SOMEONE...
LET ME KNOW TOMORROW WHEN HE CAN HAVE THE EMULSION.
Narrator: WITH FOUR SMALL CHILDREN AT HOME
REICHENBACH HAD GROWN WEARY
OF THE LONG HOURS AND INCREASING DEMANDS.
LATE IN 1891, HE AND SEVERAL OTHER KODAK CHEMISTS TOOK STEPS
TO START THEIR OWN COMPETING BUSINESS.
EASTMAN FIRED THEM.
HIS ACTION WOULD PROVE DISASTROUS.
SOON, ANGRY CUSTOMERS WERE COMPLAINING
THAT KODAK FILM WAS NO GOOD.
rding: AND AS THE MONTHS WENT BY, THIS PBLEM BUILT UP
UNTIL EASTMAN HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION
TO ACTUALLY STOP FILM PRODUCTION BECAUSE PROBLEMS WERE SO GAT.
Narrator: THEN, IN 1893, AN ECONOMIC DEPRESSION SWEPT THE WORLD
AND EASTMAN'S COMPANY WENT DEEPLY INTO DEBT.
MONTHS PASSED AND STL NO FILM WAS SHIPPED.
EMPLOYEES SAW THEIR BOSS TURN INTO A "NEOUS, RAGGED WRECK."
AT THE PLANT IN ENGLAND, THINGS WERE NO BETTER.
WHEN A BRITISH BANK THREATENED TO FORECLO ON A LOAN
GEORGE DICKMAN WROTE TO HIS FRIEND FOR MONEY.
E.
Eastman: WE SHALL HAVE ALL THAT WE CAN DO
TO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN FINANCES.
IT IS EXTREMELY UNLIKELY
THAT WE WILL BE ABLE
I WRITE THIS TO YOU SO THAT YOU WILL NOT COUNT ON IT.
YOURS TRULY, GEORGE EASTMAN, TREASURER.
Harding: 1893 WAS PROBABLY THE...
THE LOWEST POINT FOR THE YOUNG MPANY.
EBT,
AND REALLY, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE A WAY OUT OF THIS.
Narrator: AFTER FIRING REICHENBACH
EASTMAN HIRED A SUCCESSION OF EMULSION MAKERS.
THEY ALL FAILED.
YEARS
TRYING TO FIND SOME WAY TO GET THIS EMULSION DOWN.
RT
ALL THE HANDS WOULD GATHER AROUND
AND PRAY OR THE EMULSION.
Narrator: LATE IN 1893, EASTMAN HIRED WILLIAM STUBER.
, BUT
WHO MADE HIS OWN DRY PLATES.
HIS EMULSIONS WERE BASED
ON FORMULAS HE HAD LEARNED IN EUROPE.
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, HE WORKED IN COMPLETE SECRECY.
EVEN EASTMAN WAS NOT ALLOWED INTO THE LAB.
IN THE SPRING OF 1894
STUBER FINALLY PRODUCED A QUALITY EMULSION.
WHEN THE NEW KODAK FILM CAME OUT
IT WAS SO GOOD EVEN PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS BEGAN USING IT.
AND IT ARRIVED JUST IN TIME TO HELP A NEW IUSTRY GET STARTED:
MOTION PICTURES.
WITHIN A FEW YEARS, MOVIE FILM BECAME EASTMAN'S BIGGEST SELLER.
HIS COMPANY WAS BACK ON ITS FEET.
THE WORLD ECONOMY WAS ALSO RECOVERI FROM THE DEPRESSION.
Staudenmaier: YOU NOT ONLY HAVE INVESTMENT MONEY
BUT YOU HAVE THE MECHANISMS IN PLACE NOW--
WALL STREET, YOU MIGHT SAY--
TO MANAGE INVESTMENTS.
AND IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT BEGINNING AROUND 1898
YOU HAVE A WAVOF MERGERS--
SMART PEOPLE USING INVESTMENT MONIES
TO PUT TOGETHER LARGER BUSINESS ENTERPRISES.
Eastman: THE MANIFEST DESTINY OF THE EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY IS
TO BE THE LARGEST MANUFACTURER
OF PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS IN THE WORLD, OR GO TO POT.
Jenkins: THEY HAVE SOLD MORE KODAKS
AND MADE MORE MONEY THAN THEY'VE EVER MADE BEFORE.
THINK,
"OKAY, NOW WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH THIS?"
IN 1898, EASTMAN WENT TO ENGLAND TO FORM AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY
KODAK LIMITED.
LY.
HE AND DICKMAN MET WITH INVESTORS.
"EVERYTHING IS IN GOOD SHAPE," EASTMAN WROTE TO HIS MOTHER.
"UNLESS SOMETHING QUITE UNFORTUNATOCCURS
IT WILL BE AN ENORMOUS SUCCESS."
ON THE AFTERNOON OF NOVEMBER 9, EASTMAN WAS IN HIS LONDON OFFICE
WHEN GEORGE DICKMAN WALKED IN WITH SOME PAPERS FOR REVIEW.
SUDDENLY DICKMAN DOUBLED OVER WITH SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN.
Hardin THERE WAS NO FIRST AID ROOM AS SUCH
AND SO THE BOARDROOM WAS CLEARED
AND GEORGE DICKMAN WAS LAID DOWN, ON THE TABLE.
EASTMAN DECIDED TO SEND FOR AN AMBULANCE.
AND I THINK IT'S SOME INDICATION HERE OF THE...
THE PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO MEN
THAT WHEN THE AMBULANCE CAME, EASTMAN INSISTED
ON GETTING INTO THE BACK OF THE AMBULANCE WITH GEORGE DICKMAN
AND ACCOMPANYING HIM ON THE WAY HOME TO HAMPSTEAD.
THERE WAS NOT TIME TO ACTUALLY TAKE HIM TO HOSPITAL
AND THE OPERATION WAS PERFORMED UP IN HIS BEDROOM.
EASTMAN WAS HOVERING OVER HIM TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING HE COULD
AND OF COURSE THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE
HE DIDN'T HAVE THE ANTIBIOTICS.
Harding: DICKMAN SEEMED TO RALLY A BIT
AND SEEMED TO BE ON THE MEND, BUT SIX DAYS LATER, HE DIED.
Narrator: GEORGE DICKMAN DIED ON THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 15, 1898.
EASTMAN COLLECTED MORE THAN $900,000.
HE WAS NOW A MILLIONAIRE.
( steam whistle blows )
S
THE EASTMAN KODAK COMPY NOW DOMINATED THE INDUSTRY.
GEORGE EASTMAN USED ITS POWER TOUY OUT OTHER COMPANIES
ACQUIRING THE TECHNOLOGY
TO PRODUCE A CHEAPER VERSION OF THE KODAK.
IN 1900, HE RELEASED THE "BROWNIE"
A CAMERA ALMOST EVERYONE COULD AFFORD.
West: THE BROWNIE CAMERA COST ONE DOLLAR.
THAT'S ROUGHLY $20 BY TODAY'S STANDARDS.
SO IT WAS DRASTICALLY CHEAPER THAN THE ORIGINAL KODAK CAMERA.
AND IT REALLY... THAT WAS THE CAMERA
THAT REALLY REVOLUTIONIZED OR DEMOCRATIZED PHOTOGRAPHY.
Narrator: THE BROWNIE WAS NAMED AFTER POPULAR STORYBOOK CHARACTERS.
IT WAS A SHREWD MOVE, AIMED AT SELLING THE CHEAP CAMERA
TO A NEW GROUP OF CONSURS-- CHILDREN.
West: ONE OF THE THINGS
I THINK THAT WAS CLEARLY AT WORK
IN EASTMAN'S PROMOTION OF THE BROWNIE CAMERA WAS THE IDEA
THAT IF HE STARTED CHILDREN WITH A CHEAPER CAMERA
THEY WOULD WORK THEIR WAY UP TO MORE EXPENSIVE CAMERAS LATER ON
BUYING ONE CAMERA AFTER ANOTHER.
Narrator: 150,000 BROWNIES WERE MADE
MORE CAMERAS THAN EASTMAN HAD SOLD
IN THE 12 YEARS SINCE HE HAD INTRODUCED THE KODAK.
BUT THE EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY WAS FACING A SERIOUS THREAT.
THE PATENT OFFICE HAD GIVEN HANNIBAL GOODWIN
A PATENT FOR CELLULOID FILM.
GOODWIN THREATENED TO SUE EASTN KODAK FOR INFRINGEMENT.
Jenkins: FILM WAS THE MOST PROFITABLE ITEM
FOR THE EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY.
SO WHAT THIS HAD THE POTENTIAL OF DOING
S CLAIM
THAT WAS PRODUCED BY THE EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
DURING THE LIFE OF THAT PATENT.
Narrator: WHEN THE PATENT DISPUTE GREW INTO A LAWSUIT
EASTMAN REFUSED TO SETTLE.
AFTER A LONG LEGAL BATTLE, HE LOST.
WHEN HE REALIZED THE JUDGMENT MIGHT BE AS HIGH AS $25 MILLION
EASTMAN WAS STUNNED.
DRAWINON HIS COMPANY'S VAST RESOURCES
HE WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THE PAYMENT DOWN TO $5 MILLION.
"WELL, THAT'S OVER HE SAID.
"NOW THE ONE THING TO DO IS FORGEIT."
THE COMPANY'S PROFITS SOARED.
SO DID HIS PERSONAL FORTUNE.
HE WOULD SOON BE LISTED
AS THE SIXTH WEALTHIEST MAN IN THE NATION.
EASTMAN ASSUMED A MORE CONSERVATIVE STYLE.
THE TRIM, DAPPER ENTREPRENEUR IN WAISTCOATS AND ASCOTS
BECAME A PAUNCHY BUSINESSMAN DRESSED IN DARK SUITS.
IN 1905, HE AND HIS MOTHER MOVED
INTO A 37-ROOM MANSION HE HELPED DESIGN.
IVE STOCK
MAINTAINED BY A STAFF OF 40.
Connor: HE VERY MUCH WANTED
HIS HOUSE TO BE RUN LIKE THE BUSINESS.
AND SO THERE WERE FLOW CHARTS, AND IT WAS VERY WELL STRUCTURED
AND ORGANIZED AS WHO REPORTED TO WHO.
Narrator: EASTMAN MADE THE GARDENERS COUNT THE ROSES ON EACH VINE
TO SEE WHICH VARIETIES PRODUCED BETTER.
HE ORDERED MONTHLY REPORTS
ON THE OUTPUT OF HIS COWS AND CHICKENS.
HIS HOUSEKEEPER TRACKED HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES
WITH DOUBLE ENTRY LEDGERS
AND SHE WAS AUDITED ONCE A YEAR BY PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS.
EVEN THE MORNING BREAKFAST FOLLOWED A CAREFUL RITUAL.
ORGANIST HAROLD GLEASON ARRIVED EARLY
TO PLAY MUSIC THAT PLEASED HIS PRICKLY BOSS.
AT EXACTLY 7:30, AS EASTMAN ENED HIS BEDROOM DOOR
GLEASON BEGAN TO PLAY.
( slow, somber music )
THE ORGANIST WOULD TRY TO SENSE HIS BOSS'S MOOD
AS HE ENTERED THE ROOM AND ADJUST THE MUSIC ACCORDINGLY.
THE CONSERVATORY TABLE WAS ALWAYS SET
WITH A LINEN TABLECLOTH AND HIS SILVER TEA SERVICE.
SOMETIMES GUESTS WERE INVITED TO JOIN HIM
BUT INCREASINGLY OVER THE YEARS, HE ATE ALONE.
IN 1907, GEORGE EASTMAS MOTHER, MARIA
DIED AT THE AGE OF 85.
Brayer: FOR THE NEXT WEEK, WHEN PEOPLE WOULD COME BY
HE WOULD START TO RRY ON A... A NORMAL CONVERSATION
AND THEN SUDDENLY HE WOULD TURN AWAY AND WALK TO THE WINDOW
AND START FIDDLING WITH THE CURTAIN OR SOMETHING.
AND THEN HE'D TURN AROUND AND SAY, "I'M ALL RIGHT NOW."
Staudenmaier: GEORGE EASTMAN IS SUCH AN INTRIGUING FIGURE.
HERE IS A MAN WHO UNDERSTOOD INTUITIVELY, EARLY ON--
VERY EARLY ON-- THAT YOU COULD TAKE
A DISTANT AND FORMALIZED, HIGH- TECH SYSTEM-- PHOTOGRAPHY--
AND MAKE IT A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD BE INTIMATE, PLAYFUL, WARM
AND WHERE THEY COULD REMEMBER THE FOND MEMORIES OF THEIR LIFE.
AND THE MAN HIMSELF, CREASINGLY AS HE LIVES LONGER
BECOMES LESS AND LESS CAPABLE OF INTIMACY.
Narrator: THOUGH EASTMAN INVED PEOPLE TO HIS HOME
FOR CONCERTS AND DINNER PARTIES, HE WAS AN UNCOMFORTABLE HOST
WHO OFTEN DISAPPEARED LONG BEFORE HIS GUESTS DEPARTED.
JOSEINE DICKN, WHO HAD MOVED TO AMERICA
SERVED AS HOSTESS FOR MANY EVENTS
FUELING SPECULATION AMONG STAFF
THAT SHE AND EASTMAN MIGHT MARRY.
HE WAS THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE," SAID ONE
BUT EASTMAN REMAINED A BACHELOR.
IN 12, EASTMAN BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT THE LEGACY HE WOULD LEAVE.
Jenkins: EASTMAN KODAK IS, IN A SENSE, HIS CHILD
AND HE'S DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN
TO BRING THAT CHILD TO FULL MATURITY
AF
K
TO KEEP THE COMPANY AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
SOME WENT TO THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
WHICH WAS TRAINING MANY OF HIS BEST SCIENTISTS.
HE WKED TO OVERCOME ITS PROVINCIAL REPUTATION.
HE BUILT A THEATER, CREATED A SCHOOL OF MUSIC
AND GAVE LARGE GIFTS TO THE UNIVERSITY.
IN 1925, GEORGE EASTMAN, NOW 71
AK.
HE NAMED AS PRESENT WILLIAM STUBER--
THE MAN WHO HAD SAVED HIS COMPANY BY FIXING THE EMULSION.
EASTMAN ATTACKED RETIREMENT WITH THE SAME OBSESSIVE ENERGY
HE HAD GIVEN HIS COMPANY--
ORCHESTRATING ELABORATE CAMPING TRIPS
AND AFRICAN FARIS.
Connor: EVERY MEAL WAS PLANNED OUT.
EVERY KIND OF ACTIVITY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO WAS PLANNED OUT
SO THAT HE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH OF THE GUNS
THE AMMUNITION, THE CLOTHING
THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY WOULD NEED
TO DO THE FISHING AND THE HUNTING OF DIFFERENT ANIMALS.
( gunshot )
( gunshot )
Narrator: HE INVITED FRIENDS TO JOIN HIM.
BUT OVER TIME, FEWER AEPTED.
THEY FOUND LITTLE PLEASURE
TRAVELING WITH A MAN WHO NEVER STOPPED BEING THE BOSS.
ON ONE OF THESE TRIPS IN 1928
EASTMAN WAS NOTICEABLY THINNER AND WEAKER.
SOON, HE HAD DIFFICULTY STANDING.
HIS STRIDE BECAME SLOW AND SHUFFLING.
( organ playing in background )
Brayer: MEDICAL EXPERTS TODAY SAY
D HAVE BEEN IS
HE KNEW HE WAS HEADED TO A WHEELCHAIR EXISTENCE.
IT ALSO WOULD HAVE MADE HIM INCONTINENT
WHICH WAS A VERY DIFFICULT THING
FOR A MAN OF HIS METICULOUS HABITS.
Connor: HE WAS VERY MUCH AFRAID OF MENTALLY DETERIORATING
AND NOT BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE FRIENDS AND FAMILY
NOT BE AE TO CONVERSE
TO NOT BE IN CONTROL OF HIS OWN LIFE TO THE VERY END.
Narrator: THE PAIN BECAME SO GREAT THAT EASTMAN RARELY LEFT HIS BEDROOM.
HE CONFESSED TO A FRIEND, "THERE ISN'T MUCH TO LIVE FOR.
"ALL THAT MOST PEOPLE COME HERE FOR
TO HAVE ME SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE."
ASTMAN VER
TO WITNESS A CHANGE IN HIS WILL.
HE SEEMED GLAD FOR THE COMPANY.
A LITTLE PAST NOON, HE ASKED EVERYONE TO LEAVE
SAYING HE HAD A NOTE TO WRITE.
MOMENTS LATER, THE HOUSEHOLD STAFF HEARD A GUNSHOT.
( gunshot )
( organ music stops abruptly )
LYING IN BED, EASTMAN HAD FIRED
.
HE WAS 77.
E:
"TO MY FRIENDS-- MY WORK IS DONE.
T?"
THOUSANDS GATHERED TO MOURN GEORGE EASTMAN.
HE HAD GIVEN MANY OF THEM SUCCESSFUL CAREERS.
HE HAD IMPROVED THEIR CITY.
BUT FOR PEOPLE INLL PARTS OF THE WORLD
HE HAD CREATED SOMETHING FAR MORE IMPORTANT.
Staudenmaier: THE IDEA THAT YOU COULD CAPTURE
WARM, SIMPLE AND TENDER MOMENTS IN YOUR OWN LIFE, AND SAVE THEM
SO THAT YOU COULD REMEMBER THEM BY LOOKING AT THEM--
THAT'S A RADICAL IDEA OF THE TIME.
Haing: HE WAS DEFINITELY A BUSINESSMAN, FIRST AND FOREMOST.
BUT QUITE CLEARLY, HE DID INTRODUCE THIS ELEMENT
WHEREBY WE CAN ALL RECORD OUR LIVES
CAPTURE OUR MEMORIES, HAPPY MEMORIES
AND LAY DOWN SOMETHING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THAT MUST BE EASTMAN'S LEGACY.
THERE'S MORE ABOUT GEORGE EASTMAN ON THE WEB.
VIEW EARLY KODAK ADVERSEMENTS IN OUR PICTURE GALLERY
AND TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF EASTMAN'S HOME.
ALL THIS AND MORE AT THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE ONLINE.