Inspirational Quotes by Edwin H. Land (American Inventor)

Edwin Herbert Land (1909–91) was an American inventor and physicist. He developed a new synthetic light-polarizing filter with wide use in optical instruments. He also founded the Polaroid Corporation in 1937. He introduced the Polaroid Land camera in 1948, allowing a picture to be taken and developed in less than 60 seconds.

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Land studied optics at Harvard University. He became interested in polarized light, took a leave of absence, and, after intensive study and experimentation, succeeded invented the polarizer filter in 1932. He later used various types of Polaroid material in sunglasses and other optical devices, founding the Polaroid Corporation in 1937.

Land also invented a one-step process for developing and printing photographs, launching a revolution in photography unparalleled since the advent of roll film. The Polaroid Land Camera photographic process soon found numerous commercial, military, and scientific applications. Many innovations later, the cameras became some of the most popular cameras in the world.

Land’s interest in light and color resulted in a new theory of color perception. He received more than 500 patents for his innovations in light and plastics by the time he retired as chief executive officer of Polaroid In 1980.

Land’s biography is Victor K. McElheny’s Insisting on the Impossible: The Life of Edwin Land, Inventor of Instant Photography (1998.)

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