Those who grew up with digital cameras and later smartphones have no clue how much was involved in getting a simple photograph in earlier times. You could go to a photography studio, but that was expensive and time-consuming. Cameras were expensive, too, but you also had to pay for film, and then pay to have the film developed, which took several days. You only shot a scene once because there were limited frames on that roll of film, and you didn't know if the picture was any good until you got the prints back.
So it was no wonder that when Anatol Josepho introduced the first practical automated photo booth in New York in 1925, people flocked to use it. For a coin or two, you got to see yourself in a series of permanent photographs in just a few minutes! No photographer, camera, film, or developer needed- that was all automated. Of course, you took your chances on the quality of those photos, but they captured a moment in time that you could always look back on and remember. A new exhibition at The Photographers Gallery in London explores the history and impact of the photo booth. Read an interview with several experts on the subject and see images from the exhibit at It's Nice That. -via Nag on the Lake
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