Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Photomatic
In the 1930's, a company called the International Mutoscope and Reel Company of New York City, a manufacturer of penny arcade games, nickelodeons, weight and fortune dispensers, and other coin-operated entertainment devices, developed a machine capable of taking a photograph and dispensing a black & white print in just a few minutes time. The machine was called a "Photomatic", and they were frequently installed at larger railroad passenger stations, where for fifteen cents departing friends or family members could make a farewell portrait on-the-spot. I recently found one of these featuring a little kid with a weird halo-like light above his head. Time has had a nice effect on these things.
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1 comment:
Love these. There's one of my grandmother floating around where we have the same smile. I wish I had it.
One of my favorites is of this very beatific older man. It always makes me happy to look at him.
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