<P> Collodion dry plates had been available since 1857, thanks to the work of Désiré van Monckhoven, but it was not until the invention of the gelatin dry plate in 1871 by Richard Leach Maddox that the wet plate process could be rivaled in quality and speed . The 1878 discovery that heat - ripening a gelatin emulsion greatly increased its sensitivity finally made so - called "instantaneous" snapshot exposures practical . For the first time, a tripod or other support was no longer an absolute necessity . With daylight and a fast plate or film, a small camera could be hand - held while taking the picture . The ranks of amateur photographers swelled and informal "candid" portraits became popular . There was a proliferation of camera designs, from single - and twin - lens reflexes to large and bulky field cameras, simple box cameras, and even "detective cameras" disguised as pocket watches, hats, or other objects . </P> <P> The short exposure times that made candid photography possible also necessitated another innovation, the mechanical shutter . The very first shutters were separate accessories, though built - in shutters were common by the end of the 19th century . </P> <P> The use of photographic film was pioneered by George Eastman, who started manufacturing paper film in 1885 before switching to celluloid in 1888 - 1889 . His first camera, which he called the "Kodak," was first offered for sale in 1888 . It was a very simple box camera with a fixed - focus lens and single shutter speed, which along with its relatively low price appealed to the average consumer . The Kodak came pre-loaded with enough film for 100 exposures and needed to be sent back to the factory for processing and reloading when the roll was finished . By the end of the 19th century Eastman had expanded his lineup to several models including both box and folding cameras . </P> <P> In 1900, Eastman took mass - market photography one step further with the Brownie, a simple and very inexpensive box camera that introduced the concept of the snapshot . The Brownie was extremely popular and various models remained on sale until the 1960s . </P>

A picture of the first camera being built