George Eastman

Born: 12-Jul-1854

Birthplace: Waterville, NY

Died: 14-Mar-1932

Location of death: Rochester, NY

Cause of death: Suicide [1]

Remains: Buried, Kodak Park, Rochester, NY



Gender: Male

Religion: Atheist [2]

Race or Ethnicity: White

Occupation: Inventor, Philanthropist

Party Affiliation: Republican

Nationality: United States

Executive summary: Inventor of the Kodak camera

George Eastman invented a dry-plate photographic system, and later the system of film on rolls of gelatin-coated paper, which effectively superceded the previous system of chemicals, glass tanks, and heavy plate holders that kept photography out of the reach of all but professionals and the most dedicated hobbyists. "What we were doing", he later said, "was not merely making dry plates, but [making] photography an everyday affair."

In 1888 he invented the "snapshot" camera, under the name Kodak. One of the first brand names invented from nonsense syllables, Eastman said he called it Kodak because he was fond of the sound of the letter K. As his Kodak cameras and film rolls (manufactured for use in either his own or competitors' cameras) became more and more popular and profitable, Eastman pioneered an employee dividend system that made his workers part-owners of the firm, and he gave millions of dollars to the Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and smaller but still generous sums to the Tuskegee Institute.

In fading health at the age of 77, he shot himself in the head on 14 March 1932, leaving a note that read simply, "To my friends: My work is done. Why wait?"

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