"Instant photography at the push of a button!" During the 1960s and '70s, Polaroid was the coolest technology company on earth. Like Apple, it was an innovation machine that cranked out one must-have product after another. Led by its own visionary genius founder, Edwin Land, Polaroid grew from a 1937 garage start-up into a billion-dollar pop-culture phenomenon. Instant tells the remarkable tale of Land's one-of-a-kind invention-from Polaroid's first instant camera to hit the market in 1948, to its meteoric rise in popularity and adoption by artists such as Ansel Adams, Andy Warhol, and Chuck Close, to the company's dramatic decline into bankruptcy in the late '90s and its unlikely resurrection in the digital age. Instant is both an inspiring tale of American ingenuity and a cautionary business tale about the perils of companies that lose their creative edge.
Instant: The Story of Polaroid
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Review
"Offers up a concise and in-depth cultural history of Polaroid and its brilliant and charismatic leader, Edwin Land. Amidst its carefully constructed narrative of Polaroid's rise, demise, and renaissance.... Land and Polaroid's story are remarkable." --Publishers Weekly, 9/3/2012
"A fascinating tale of rapid rise, catastrophic collapse, and the riveting ride between the two, at once told like never before and strangely familiar in its allegorical quality... brimming with lessons for modern tech mavericks." -- Brain Pickings
"When I was little, long before personal computers, let alone Instagram-enabled digital camera-phones, Arthur C. Clarke wrote that advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. By far the most uncanny, sexy, insanely great piece of technological magic in our household was my parents' Polaroid. Chris Bonanos' smart, thoughtful, charming chronicle of that iconic invention and its remarkable inventor is a delight." -- Kurt Andersen, author of True Believers and Heyday, host of public radio's Studio 360
"This cultural history of the eccentric camera company-which has fair claim to being the Apple of the '60s-is simultaneously breezy and deeply researched, making it the perfect compulsive reading for design enthusiasts and Instagram addicts alike." -- Details.com
"Tells the story of the forgotten genius who turned Polaroid into a cultural phenomenon." -- Washington Post
"Reading Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher Bonanos rekindled memories of Polaroid cameras for me. And I think it will do the same for legions of others who were also mesmerized back in the day by this cool gizmo, one of America's greatest inventions." -- San Jose Mercury News
"Instant: The Story of Polaroid clocks in at a slim 192 pages, but it manages to be three books in one: a thoroughly charming, fact-filled stroll through the life and times of Edwin Land and the incredible company he built; a brief, poignant recap of Polaroid's plunge from the heights into not one but two wrenching bankruptcies; and a small but lovely collection of Polaroid images taken by well-known artists. Christopher Bonanos's well-researched and well-written book features a terrific Andy Warhol photo of Liza Minnelli, self-portraits by Chuck Close and Robert Mapplethorpe, and a David Hockney collage, along with photos by Walker Evans, Andre Kertesz, and William Wegman. It also includes several photos by Ansel Adams, who signed on as a $100-a-month Polaroid consultant in 1949, when the company made its first move into photography." -- Fortune.com
"Edwin Land was one of Steve Jobs's first heroes, and this book shows why. He created a startup in a garage that grew into a company that stood at the intersection of creativity and technology. This is a fascinating saga, both inspiring and cautionary, about innovation and visionary leadership." -- Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs
"Christopher Bonanos tells Polaroid's story with fluid, energetic prose that mirrors the thrilling arc of the company's story, twining together technology, fine art, business, design and pop culture into a 175-page powerhouse. Whether you pick it up because you loved your old Polaroid camera or because you want to find out why Steve Jobs modeled Apple after the Polaroid company, you'll be delighted by this pithy snapshot of a true American icon." -- NPR.org
"A sympathetic and beautifully told history of Polaroid and Edwin Land, the visionary who was the company's founder and presiding genius. It is the rare design-subject book with a truly dramatic arc, and storytelling that lives up to it." -- Design Observer
"A fascinating tale of rapid rise, catastrophic collapse, and the riveting ride between the two, at once told like never before and strangely familiar in its allegorical quality... brimming with lessons for modern tech mavericks." -- Brain Pickings
"When I was little, long before personal computers, let alone Instagram-enabled digital camera-phones, Arthur C. Clarke wrote that advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. By far the most uncanny, sexy, insanely great piece of technological magic in our household was my parents' Polaroid. Chris Bonanos' smart, thoughtful, charming chronicle of that iconic invention and its remarkable inventor is a delight." -- Kurt Andersen, author of True Believers and Heyday, host of public radio's Studio 360
"This cultural history of the eccentric camera company-which has fair claim to being the Apple of the '60s-is simultaneously breezy and deeply researched, making it the perfect compulsive reading for design enthusiasts and Instagram addicts alike." -- Details.com
"Tells the story of the forgotten genius who turned Polaroid into a cultural phenomenon." -- Washington Post
"Reading Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher Bonanos rekindled memories of Polaroid cameras for me. And I think it will do the same for legions of others who were also mesmerized back in the day by this cool gizmo, one of America's greatest inventions." -- San Jose Mercury News
"Instant: The Story of Polaroid clocks in at a slim 192 pages, but it manages to be three books in one: a thoroughly charming, fact-filled stroll through the life and times of Edwin Land and the incredible company he built; a brief, poignant recap of Polaroid's plunge from the heights into not one but two wrenching bankruptcies; and a small but lovely collection of Polaroid images taken by well-known artists. Christopher Bonanos's well-researched and well-written book features a terrific Andy Warhol photo of Liza Minnelli, self-portraits by Chuck Close and Robert Mapplethorpe, and a David Hockney collage, along with photos by Walker Evans, Andre Kertesz, and William Wegman. It also includes several photos by Ansel Adams, who signed on as a $100-a-month Polaroid consultant in 1949, when the company made its first move into photography." -- Fortune.com
"Edwin Land was one of Steve Jobs's first heroes, and this book shows why. He created a startup in a garage that grew into a company that stood at the intersection of creativity and technology. This is a fascinating saga, both inspiring and cautionary, about innovation and visionary leadership." -- Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs
"Christopher Bonanos tells Polaroid's story with fluid, energetic prose that mirrors the thrilling arc of the company's story, twining together technology, fine art, business, design and pop culture into a 175-page powerhouse. Whether you pick it up because you loved your old Polaroid camera or because you want to find out why Steve Jobs modeled Apple after the Polaroid company, you'll be delighted by this pithy snapshot of a true American icon." -- NPR.org
"A sympathetic and beautifully told history of Polaroid and Edwin Land, the visionary who was the company's founder and presiding genius. It is the rare design-subject book with a truly dramatic arc, and storytelling that lives up to it." -- Design Observer
From the Author
INSTANT: THE STORY OF POLAROID is a book about a very unusual company. In the 1960s and 1970s, Polaroid was what Apple is today: the coolest technology company on earth, the one with irresistible products, the one whose stock kept climbing way past the point of logic. In its heyday, Polaroid was an absolute innovation machine--a scientific think tank that periodically kicked out a fantastically profitable, covetable product. In fact, the late Steve Jobs expressly said that he modeled his company to a great extent after Polaroid.
Instant is a business story, about what happens when a company loses its innovative spark. It is a fine-arts story, showcasing the amazing things photographers (from Ansel Adams to Andy Warhol to Chuck Close) did with Polaroid film. It is a technology story, of a company that created and maintained a niche all its own for 60 years. And it is a pop-culture history, of a friendly product that millions of people absolutely adored. I like to think that it also tells a larger story, about the rise and fall of American invention and manufacturing.
Instant is a business story, about what happens when a company loses its innovative spark. It is a fine-arts story, showcasing the amazing things photographers (from Ansel Adams to Andy Warhol to Chuck Close) did with Polaroid film. It is a technology story, of a company that created and maintained a niche all its own for 60 years. And it is a pop-culture history, of a friendly product that millions of people absolutely adored. I like to think that it also tells a larger story, about the rise and fall of American invention and manufacturing.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By M. Dionne
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
My father was an engineer in the model shops at Polaroid--he started in 1943 and retired in 1980--and worked often with Dr. Land. Much of the story in this book was dinner-table conversation at our house. Christopher Bonanos gets the story of those years right, particularly the personality traits of Edwin Land, and tells it in a very readable way.
In the years after 1980, I paid less attention to the company (except when the corporate takeover goons took away my mother's pension and health benefits) and the book brought me up to date nicely. I think the recent parts of the story are missing from the other books about Polaroid.
Recommended.
In the years after 1980, I paid less attention to the company (except when the corporate takeover goons took away my mother's pension and health benefits) and the book brought me up to date nicely. I think the recent parts of the story are missing from the other books about Polaroid.
Recommended.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Bunjamin
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
As an instant film and Polaroid enthusiast, I was pretty pumped about getting this book. I was even more delighted when it showed up though. It's fun to read, I knocked the whole thing down on a long day of travel, and I couldn't have been happier with it. It's a great story of the inner workings of a company and a man who had an impossible idea that he made real through with little more than genius and determination.
The book also offers many full-color photo reproductions and impressive illustrations. Whoever art-directed the book gets a high-five from me. It's beautiful.
Folks who like to read about Steve Jobs and crazy CEO-types need to get on the Edwin Land bus. That guy was the OG super controlling genius boss.
The book also offers many full-color photo reproductions and impressive illustrations. Whoever art-directed the book gets a high-five from me. It's beautiful.
Folks who like to read about Steve Jobs and crazy CEO-types need to get on the Edwin Land bus. That guy was the OG super controlling genius boss.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Cyrus Beh
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have been a long-time admirer of Polaroid (the innovative company, not the one that slaps its badges on sub-par consumer electronics). When I came across this book in my local bookstore, I was enthralled, and read the first 4 chapters in one seating. Not wanting to wait to receive the physical copy, I purchased the Kindle version which I read on my various tablet devices. Unfortunately, while the content is excellent, the presentation of the Kindle version is far inferior to the original book. Firstly, the layout was awkward, with footnotes being relocated to the end of each chapter. Secondly, the formatting was highly suspect. When I flip through the pages I frequently found whole pages missing or repeated. This was especially pronounced when one clicked through the footnote links -- attempting to return to the original text from a footnote often landed one in a completely different section of the chapter! Furthermore, each time the font size was changed, multiple paragraphs will disappear into thin air! This is totally unacceptable, and because of this, even though I ostensibly finished the e-book, I can never be sure how much of it was actually unread!
So in conclusion, 5 stars for the content, 1 star for the formatting.
So in conclusion, 5 stars for the content, 1 star for the formatting.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable read
This book provided a good history of Polaroid and an insight into Edwin Land who was probably the 1960's version of Steve Jobs!
Published 9 days ago by PSC
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating
This is a history that reads like a novel. From the larger than life nature of the main character to the grimy super villain, I couldn't put it down. Read more
Published 23 days ago by Austin Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Picky Girl Reviews Instant: The Story of Polaroid by Christopher...
I've been fascinated by photography for many years, own about 8 cameras, took a photography course in college, and stare lovingly at my Hasselblad, who patiently waits on my... Read more
Published 1 month ago by jrav
4.0 out of 5 stars
gift to grandaughter!
Have no Idea about the book, but she seems to think it is great so I am happy with it!
Published 2 months ago by Donna
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good but too technical
It's very detailed & very technical. I wish it had more on Edwin land nd less on Polaroid. But then I m not a huge Polaroid fan just wanted to know some history
Published 2 months ago by Vic
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific Book!
Polaroid is one of the great all-time companies, and the man who founded it, the late Edwin Land, a genius of the very first order. Hey -- he was Steve Jobs' hero, 'nuff said. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Steven Salemi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Overview of Edwin Land, His Inventions and Business
Great, fast paced, easy to read yet full of details and anecdotes this history of Polaroid will appeal to photographers and technology students everywhere. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Gary Milgrom
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great story!
A great story of how a once dominant company (they had 100% market share of the instant photo market at one time) has disappeared off the face of the earth (there's some people who... Read more
Published 3 months ago by G. Morris
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good read for Polaroid fans.
Easy and entertaining read. I'm a big fan of Polaroid film and the new impossible project. Found it to be informative and interesting.
Published 3 months ago by ishotfirst
4.0 out of 5 stars
Complete summary of Polaroid history, filled with pictures and...
"Instant" is the most recent of several histories of Polaroid Corp, its triumphs and its warts. Heavily concentrates on anecdotes of founder Edwin Land, as related by those who... Read more
Published 3 months ago by John Averell
