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1930

1929 - 32

At Harvard, Edwin H. Land works on the development of synthetic polarizers.

1932

Land and his Harvard physics instructor George W. Wheelwright, III form Land-Wheelwright Laboratories to research and manufacture synthetic polarizers.
1935
1934–1935
Land-Wheelwright Laboratories signs a contract with Eastman Kodak Company for polarizing filters for cameras and with American Optical Company for polarizing lenses for sunglasses.

1936

Howard G. Rogers leaves Harvard College to join Land-Wheelwright Laboratories and eventually becomes Director of Research at Polaroid.

1937

The Polaroid Corporation is founded.
Clarence Kennedy, professor of art history at Smith College, fellow at Harvard, and consultant for Land-Wheelwright Laboratories, suggests the name Polaroid.

Polaroid net sales: $141,935. Net profit: $8,677.

1939

The Polaroid Corporation moves to the Kendall Square area in Cambridge.

William J. McCune, Jr., an engineer and graduate of MIT, becomes the quality control officer at Polaroid.
1940

1941–45

Vannevar Bush, former vice-president and dean of engineering at MIT and then head of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development, enlists Polaroid’s help in the war effort. The Polaroid Corporation enters into a contract with the National Defense Research Committee.
1945
1945
Polaroid net sales: $16,752,465. Net profit: $449,424.
1944
– 48
Polaroid establishes project SX-70 to develop a one-step photography system.

Meroë Marston Morse, a Smith College graduate, works as a lab assistant and later as manager of the black-and-white research lab.

1947

Land demonstrates instant photography at a meeting of the Optical Society of America in New York City on February 21.

Polaroid net sales: $1,503,608.
Net loss: $954,410.

1948

Commercial release of the Polaroid Land Camera, Model 95 takes place on November 26 at Jordan Marsh department store in Boston.
1949

1949

Photographer Ansel Adams becomes an artistic and technical consultant to Polaroid.
1950
1950
Polaroid introduces Type 41 black-and-white film.

4,400 dealers throughout the U.S. sell Polaroid cameras and film products.

1952

Polaroid net sales: $13,393,259.
Net profit: $597,210.

1953

Construction begins on the Polaroid plant, located on Route 128 in Waltham, Massachusetts.