Pioneers & icons

Since AP published its first edition, photographic technology has changed beyond all recognition. In 1884, photographers were using cameras constructed from wood and brass, and taking pictures on glass plates coated with light-sensitive emulsion. Since then, plates have given way to roll film and then cartridge film, before digital technology transformed image capture. Folding cameras have been superseded by fixed-body designs, rangefinders by SLRs, mechanical shutters by electronic, and manual focus by autofocus. Right now we're in the middle of another big transition – from DSLR to mirrorless. All the way through, AP has been following and commenting on the trends of the day.

In this article we'll be taking a look at how cameras have evolved and progressed over this time, by focusing on a few specific models. Some were trailblazers that debuted a particular feature or design approach, while others are classics that have became archetypes of their kind. Together they illustrate how we've progressed from cameras crafted from mahogany and brass through to the digital marvels we're using today.

Kodak Brownie 1900

While amateur photographers of the late Victorian era may have used big, complex, bulky cameras, the everyday snap-shooter wanted something smaller and simpler (sound familiar?). No company did more to deliver photography to the mass market than Kodak, and this was the first model to bear the famous ‘Brownie' name. The original Kodak box camera of 1888 had come preloaded with a 100-exposure film,