George Eastman was an American entrepreneur and inventor who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring photography to the ordinary person. His innovations in roll film and simple cameras transformed photography from a specialist pursuit into a mass medium enjoyed by millions worldwide.
Early Life
George Eastman was born on 12 July 1854 in Waterville, New York. He left school at 14 after his father died, taking a job as a messenger boy to help support his family. He taught himself bookkeeping and worked his way up to a position at a bank in Rochester, New York.
The Birth of Roll Film
In 1878, at the age of 24, Eastman became fascinated by photography. At the time, photographers had to carry heavy glass plates, chemicals, and darkroom equipment. Eastman became determined to simplify the process. By 1884 he had developed a roll of paper-backed photographic film — a revolutionary invention that would replace the heavy glass plates used in cameras of the time.
In 1889 he introduced transparent celluloid roll film, which proved ideal not only for still photography but also for the motion picture cameras being developed by Thomas Edison and others. Edison's use of Eastman's film helped launch the entire motion picture industry.
You Press the Button, We Do the Rest
In 1888 Eastman introduced the first Kodak camera, preloaded with enough film for 100 exposures. When the roll was finished, the owner sent the entire camera back to the factory where the film was developed, prints made, and the camera reloaded and returned. The genius marketing slogan was "You press the button, we do the rest." For the first time, photography required no technical knowledge. Ordinary people could now take photographs.
The Brownie Camera
In 1900 Eastman introduced the Brownie camera, which sold for just one dollar. Designed for children and amateur photographers, the Brownie made photography accessible to virtually everyone. It was one of the most successful products in photographic history, with various Brownie models sold continuously until 1986.
Philanthropy and Death
Eastman gave away over $100 million during his lifetime — much of it to the University of Rochester, MIT, and dental clinics for the poor in Europe and America. Suffering from a spinal condition that limited his mobility in his final years, he died by suicide on 14 March 1932, leaving a note that read simply: "To my friends: my work is done. Why wait?"
The Eastman Kodak Company he founded continued to dominate photography for a century, and his legacy — making photography accessible to everyone — fundamentally shaped how we record and remember our lives.