What medium replaced fragile glass plates for the Kodak camera?
Answer
Roll film
The development of a flexible, practical medium was the essential prerequisite that allowed George Eastman to miniaturize the camera design. Eastman achieved this breakthrough in 1884 when he patented the first practical roll film. This flexible film was crucial because it could replace the heavy, fragile glass plates that characterized earlier photographic methods. The introduction of roll film unlocked the technical possibility of creating a small, light, and easy-to-use box camera, shifting the process away from the laboratory bench environment required for handling glass plates and developing chemicals.

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