Polaroid SX-70 and Other Classic Products That Have Social Media at Their Core

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Sharing and "Tagging" Photos: The Polaroid Instant Camera

My father, an amateur photographer, owned numerous high-end contemporary and antique cameras. But he still saw the value in purchasing a Polaroid SX-70. Unlike predecessor "instant" cameras, the Polaroid was a true SLR, and the film development process was not only quick but automatic. This, in conjunction with the suspense of watching the transition from green blobs to colorful images, made it ideal for kids to use.

The ability to take pictures and then quickly see the results increased the informality around photography that we take for granted with digital cameras and camera phones today. Rather than waiting days or weeks to finish the film roll and drop it off for processing--and then await the opening of the photos (incidentally, a suspenseful ritual that has been lost)--Polaroid photographers could share photos almost instantly. The casual nature of this photography led to photographing multiple takes, or images of the same event to get slightly different perspectives, and to creating copies for people who shared in the moment.

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Portable Devices: The Collapsed Polaroid

This share-ability characteristic alone is noteworthy, but it was the thoughtful design features of the entire system that really fostered interpersonal communication. For example, the picture format included a sizable tab for holding the film, but which also served as a "white space" that was typically used to write brief descriptive or entertaining notes about the photo. And the camera was not just portable, but collapsible. In fact, the collapsed SX-70 (above) looks strikingly similar to a modern smart phone; the viewfinder housing resembles a belt-clip.