Camera Does the Rest
How Polaroid Changed Photography
In a world where nearly everyone has a cellphone camera capable of zapping countless instant photos, it can be a challenge to remember just how special and transformative Polaroid photography was in its day. And yet, there's still something magical for those of us who recall waiting for a Polaroid picture to develop. Writing in the context of two Polaroid Corporation bankruptcies, not to mention the obsolescence of its film, Peter Buse argues that Polaroid was, and is, distinguished by its process – by the fact that, as the "New York Times" put it in 1947, "the camera does the rest". Polaroid was often dismissed as a toy, but Buse takes it seriously, showing how it encouraged photographic play as well as new forms of artistic practice. Drawing on unprecedented access to the archives of the Polaroid Corporation, Buse reveals Polaroid as photography at its most intimate, where the photographer, photograph, and subject sit in close proximity in both time and space – making Polaroid not only the perfect party camera but also the tool for frankly salacious pictures taking. Along the way, Buse tells the story of the Polaroid Corporation and its ultimately doomed hard-copy wager against the rising tide of digital imaging technology. He explores the continuities and the differences between Polaroid and digital, reflecting on what Polaroid can tell us about how we snap photos today. Richly illustrated, "The Camera Does the Rest" will delight historians, art critics, analog fanatics, photographers, and all those who miss the thrill of waiting to see what develops.
About the Author
Peter Buse is professor and head of performance and screen studies at Kingston University, London. He is the author of "Drama + Theory" and co-author of "The Cinema of Alex de la Iglesia and Benjamin's Arcades: An unGuided Tour", as well as editor of "Ghosts: Deconstruction, Psychoanalysis, History". He lives in London.
Reviews
"Buse gives us an account of the experience of the Polaroid camera and an extended analysis of its distinctive photos. Most striking is how he traces its presence in novels, advertisements, and films, proving its iconic status in our culture despite its recent demise. 'The Camera Does the Rest' will be of interest to anyone involved in photography, from students to visual and cultural study scholars to members of camera clubs" – Geoffrey Batchen, author of "Forget Me Not: Photography and Remembrance"
"In this engaging and wide-ranging account, Buse gets at what made Polaroid special: as a technological triumph, an array of popular products, a generator of social rituals, and harbinger of a digital era in which everyone is a maker and consumer of instant photographs. Buse's approach obeys the guideline he cites from a 1981 Polaroid newsletter – 'stay close to your subjects' – with exemplary results. His survey of the practices, materials, and legacy of Polaroid photography will serve as a model for cultural histories of imaging technologies" – Britt Salvesen, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
"In 'The Camera Does the Rest', Buse brings his gift for in-depth reporting and insightful commentary to this convincing argument on the cultural and social impact of the Polaroid brand. Buse helps us answer the questions on the minds of many ever since 2008 when the company ceased production on instant cameras and film. What was Polaroid? Was it the magnum opus of a brilliant inventor? The results of decades of hard work by a team of experts? A mere toy? A party camera? A covert device for making home pornography? An invitation to artists to experiment? A sophisticated tool for professional photographers? A gateway to the world of digital imaging? A camera for the masses to produce trillions of snapshots? As Buse shows, the answer to each of these questions is a resounding YES" – Mary-Kay Lombino, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
"In a series of brilliantly executed snapshots, Buse carefully but quickly reveals (in much the same manner as the actual photographs he writes about) a remarkable new history of Polaroid photography. Accessible, engaging, and often eloquent, Buse offers new insights and challenges conventional notions from 'what makes a Polaroid a Polaroid' to the cause of the company's demise. It is a book that will make you see anew the story of a beloved American company and its influence on modern culture" – Deborah G. Douglas, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Museum
