Drew Chris Stevens' exploration into the captivating biography of the Polaroid inventor, a college dropout named after the renowned camera.
Yesterday, PBS America aired an enlightening documentary titled Mr Polaroid, delving into the history of the instant camera and its inventor, Edwin Land. The channel, which can be found on Freeview at number 84, offered a variety of quirky documentaries on rolling repeat, with the gem of the evening being Mr Polaroid.
Edwin Land, an American scientist and inventor, was the man behind the Polaroid instant camera. Known for his earlier success with polarized sunglasses, Land spent 30 years pursuing the development of a compact camera. His obsession with photography led to the invention of the instant camera, a device that revolutionised photography.
The documentary, free of gimmicks, delivers facts through knowledgeable talking heads. It paints a picture of Land as a charmless genius who dropped out of Harvard to devote himself to designing anti-dazzle headlamps. His dedication to his work was such that he once left his children on the doorstep to return to the office with a brainwave.
One unique aspect of Polaroid cameras was the wafting of fresh white-framed prints to help the colours appear as the chemicals dried. This behaviour with a smartphone would appear strange today. The 1960s and 1970s advertisements for Polaroid cameras in the documentary are steeped in nostalgia.
The documentary also touches on Polaroid's political scandals. Land supported the United States civil rights movement, but he also decided to sell products in apartheid South Africa despite embargos. There is a suggestion that Land was a consultant for the CIA, contributing to the development of the U2 spy plane and surveillance satellites.
The instant camera is now a museum piece, but watching Mr Polaroid can lead to fascination about a topic never previously crossed one's mind. The documentary is a must-watch for anyone interested in the history of photography or innovation.
Yesterday's schedule on PBS America also included WWII In Colour and Agatha Christie's England, but the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Mr Polaroid. If you missed it, don't worry - with PBS America's rolling repeat schedule, you'll have another chance to catch this captivating documentary.
