Before the age of smartphones and Instagram filters, the dream of instant photography was a true technical challenge. Everything changed thanks to Edwin Land — an American inventor with roots in Ukraine. In 1948, he introduced the world’s first camera capable of producing a finished photograph right before your eyes. The Polaroid Land Camera was born, and with it came a new photographic revolution.
Polaroid kept pushing boundaries. In the 1970s, the company released the iconic SX-70 — a compact, folding camera that looked as elegant as it was innovative. Over the years, Polaroid developed models for families, artists, youth, and even secret services. Instant photos became more than just pictures — they became a part of popular culture.
In the 1950s, the Soviet Union made its own attempt with a camera called “Moment”. Though complex and not widely adopted, it was capable of producing prints in under a minute — a remarkable feat at the time. Today, it stands as a fascinating technical rarity and a symbol of its era’s ambitions.
As time went on, technologies evolved. Polaroid experienced dramatic ups and downs — winning major patent lawsuits, declaring bankruptcy in 2001, and later reinventing itself through hybrid models like Polaroid Now and I-2, which combine digital photography with instant printing.
🖼️ In our exhibition, you’ll find:
- the very first Polaroid models — Land Camera Model 95
- the rare Soviet Moment camera
- various Polaroid cameras from the 20th and 21st centuries: Swinger, OneStep, Polaroid Now, I‑2, and more
📸 This section isn’t just about technology. It’s about speed, anticipation, and the magic of holding a photo that didn’t exist just seconds before. Instant photography — alive and tangible, right before your eyes.
