Roll Film - History

History

In 1881 a farmer in Cambria, Wisconsin, Peter Houston, invented the first roll film camera. His younger brother David, filed for the patent David Henderson Houston (b. June 14, 1841; d. May 6, 1906 ), originally from Cambria, Wisconsin, invented the first holders for flexible roll film. Houston moved to Hunter in Dakota Territory in 1880. He was issued an 1881 patent for a roll film holder which he licensed to George Eastman (it was used in Eastman's Kodak 1888 box camera). Houston sold the patent (and an 1886 revision) outright to Eastman for $5000 in 1889. Houston continued developing the camera, creating 21 patents for cameras or camera parts between 1881 and 1902. In 1912 his estate transferred the remainder of his patents to Eastman.

Roll film remained the format of choice for inexpensive snapshot cameras through the end of the 1950s, the most common sizes being 127 and 828 for small format cameras and 120 and 116 for medium format cameras. Roll film was also used by high-class professional cameras like the Swedish-made Hasselblad. The use of roll film in snapshot cameras was largely superseded by 135 and 126 cartridges, but 120 and 220 film is still commonly used in medium format cameras.

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