What innovation served as the true game-changer for the Kodak philosophy beyond just a better emulsion?
Answer
Flexible roll film
The true revolutionary element that necessitated the entire Kodak system and philosophy was the development of a flexible base onto which the emulsion could be coated—flexible roll film. Glass plates, which were standard previously, were heavy and fragile, severely restricting the amount of photography possible away from a studio setting. The flexible base, developed sometimes in collaboration with Henry Reichenbach, provided the necessary pliability to be spooled onto rolls. This flexibility was the essential prerequisite that allowed for small, simple, pre-loaded cameras capable of many exposures, fundamentally changing the constraints of photographic sessions.
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