… The first automated photographic device’s patent was submitted in 1888, yes, 1888! It was probably never constructed, but still…
The earliest known fully functional photographic device was displayed at the 1889 Paris World’s Fair. A patent for such a device was submitted in March 1889 by Chicago-based photographer Mathew Steffens, who was born in Germany. These early devices lacked the dependability to stand alone. However, Conrad Bernitt of Hamburg’s “Boscooe,” the first commercially effective automatic photography device, was developed (Patented March-16-1890).
… Anatol Josepho invented the contemporary idea of a photo booth with (then) a curtain, and the first one appeared in 1925 on Broadway in New York City. It took around 10 minutes to take, develop, and print 8 images for 25 cents at the booth. When it initially opened, there were lines around the block. The Photomaton Company was founded with the intention of installing booths all throughout the country, and Time magazine stated that 280,000 people had entered the booths in the first six months. The photo booth craze had started.
Although a lot has changed since then, the idea remains the same. The fun hasn’t altered despite changes in technology!
