George Eastman was born on December 12, 1854 in Waterville, New York. He was the youngest child in his family and grew up in Rochester, where his father ran a nursery business. At the age of 14, Eastman's father died, leaving the family in financial straits. Eastman had to drop out of school to help support his mother and two older sisters.
Despite his lack of formal education, Eastman was a curious and enterprising young man. He took an interest in photography and began experimenting with different techniques to improve the process. He even set up a makeshift darkroom in his mother's kitchen to develop his own photos.
By the late 1870s, Eastman had developed a dry plate photographic process that revolutionized the industry. He founded the Eastman Dry Plate Company in 1880, which later became the Eastman Kodak company. His company introduced the first simple and affordable camera, the "Kodak" in 1888. The slogan "You press the button, we do the rest" epitomized Eastman's philosophy of making photography accessible to the masses.
Eastman was not only a successful entrepreneur but also a philanthropist at heart. He believed in giving back to society and donated a significant portion of his wealth to causes he cared about. One of his most notable contributions was to Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee University, where he funded the construction of several buildings.
In addition to his philanthropic efforts, Eastman was also a pioneer in the field of photography. He continued to innovate and improve his cameras, eventually developing the first roll film and the Kodak Brownie, a popular camera targeted towards children and amateur photographers.
Despite his professional success, Eastman's personal life was marked by tragedy. He never married and had a close, but ultimately platonic, relationship with a friend's wife. His mother, Maria Eastman, was the most important woman in his life, and he remained devoted to her until her death in 1907.
George Eastman's contributions to the field of photography cannot be overstated. His innovations made photography more accessible and affordable to people from all walks of life. He built a successful company that dominated the industry for nearly a century, leaving behind a lasting legacy that continues to influence the world of photography today.