Invent Now | Hall of Fame | Search





			Edwin Herbert Land Born May 7 1909 - Died Mar 1 1991 Photographic Product Comprising a Rupturable Container Carrying a Photographic Processing Liquid Photography Patent Number(s) 2,543,181 Inducted 1977 Physicist, manufacturing executive, and inventor Edwin Herbert Land developed the first modern polarizers for light, a sequence of subsequent polarizers, and theories and practices for applications of polarized light. Invention Impact Inventor Bio Born in Connecticut, Land was educated at Norwich Free Academy and Harvard University. During his lifetime he was awarded six honorary doctorates. Land spent nearly all of his life engaged in research and development of optical devices. During World War II he developed optical and other systems for military use and proposed the retinex theory for mechanism of color perception, in addition to creating cameras and films that gave instantaneous dry photographs in black and white and color. But he is best remembered for the instant-photo film and cameras made famous by the company he founded, Polaroid Corporation.