Polaroid Originals

Polaroid Originals
Kevin Dooley from Chandler, AZ, USA · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Polaroid Originals
Industry	Imaging
Founded	2017
Founder	Edwin Land
Headquarters	Enschede
Key people	Oded Ulmann
Products	Instant film, cameras, film packs
Parent	Impossible Project (rebranded)

Polaroid Originals Polaroid Originals is a brand launched in 2017 that revived classic instant photography formats associated with Edwin Land, Polaroid Corporation, The Impossible Project, Enschede, and Aperture Foundation. The brand connected archival instant formats used by photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton, Andy Warhol, Ansel Adams, and Diane Arbus to contemporary markets including MoMA, Tate Modern, Sotheby's, Christie's. Its reintroduction intersected with broader trends seen at venues like South by Southwest, Photokina, Les Rencontres d'Arles, Documenta, and institutions like International Center of Photography.

History

The origins trace to the innovations of Edwin Land and the rise of Polaroid Corporation alongside photographers such as Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, and Robert Mapplethorpe, who used instant formats at Vogue, Rolling Stone, Time (magazine), National Geographic. After production ceased in the 2000s, former employees and enthusiasts, including engineers with ties to Leica Camera AG and designers from Nikon Corporation, formed The Impossible Project to restart manufacturing, collaborating with organizations like TU Delft and firms such as Xerox Corporation for component expertise. In 2017 the brand was relaunched under the new name, aligning product lines previously developed with galleries such as Gagosian Gallery and festivals like Venice Biennale and Berlin International Film Festival.

Products

The product range encompassed instant camera models inspired by classics used by artists connected to Andy Warhol's Factory, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, and Alexander McQueen. Offerings included film packs reminiscent of rolls used in studios like Harper's Bazaar and Elle (magazine), and accessories promoted at retailers such as Harrods, Selfridges, Camden Market, and boutiques in SoHo, Manhattan. Noted photographers including Sebastião Salgado, Garry Winogrand, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange, and Walker Evans were evoked in marketing, while collaborations referenced designers like Paul Smith, Marc Jacobs, Dries Van Noten, and Comme des Garçons.

Technology and Film Formats

Film technology preserved integral elements pioneered by Edwin Land and advanced by chemists from labs associated with MIT, Caltech, and ETH Zurich. Formats included the classic square frame long used by Diane Arbus and Yousuf Karsh, as well as SX-70 and 600 formats similar to those used by Andy Warhol and David Hockney. Production leveraged techniques practiced by companies like Kodak and Fujifilm and incorporated patent knowledge related to work at Bell Labs and fabrication processes common to firms such as 3M and DuPont. The film emulsion chemistry drew on heritage processes used by film manufacturers such as Ilford Photo and AgfaPhoto.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

The business lineage linked Polaroid Corporation's legacy with the independent revival by The Impossible Project, later reorganized under corporate governance involving stakeholders from Bain Capital, private investors from Silicon Valley, and executives with backgrounds at Samsung Electronics and Sony Corporation. Management teams included professionals from creative firms like Wieden+Kennedy and Pentagram, while distribution partnerships involved retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, Urban Outfitters, and regional distributors tied to Amazon (company). Intellectual property relations intersected with entities like Polaroid Corporation (2008) and agreements referencing licensors including Polaroid B.V..

Marketing and Cultural Impact

Marketing campaigns referenced visual culture icons including Andy Warhol, Twiggy, Brigitte Bardot, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, David Bowie, and Madonna to position instant photography within pop culture narratives extending to festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury Festival, SXSW, and Burning Man. Cultural impact was visible in exhibitions at institutions like Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, Centre Pompidou, and collaborations with magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker. Educational programs referenced photography curricula at universities including New York University, Royal College of Art, Parsons School of Design, and Goldsmiths, University of London.

Collaborations and Limited Editions

Limited editions and artist collaborations involved studios and figures such as Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton, Hedi Slimane, Inez van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matadin, David LaChapelle, Peter Lindbergh, Nan Goldin, Björk, Kanye West, Rihanna, Beyoncé Knowles, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Trent Reznor, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, and institutions like Getty Museum and LACMA. Special runs appeared in partnership with retailers and cultural venues including Ace Hotel, Ace Gallery, Dover Street Market, Colette (store), København. Collectors' editions cited auction interest at Sotheby's, Christie's, and private collections tied to patrons like David Rockefeller, Eli Broad, Paul Allen, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Category:Photography companies Category:Instant photography