The Red Door

Back in 1943, while on holiday, Edwin Land's young daughter Jennifer asked "Why can't I see them now?" in reference to the photographs he had just taken. Four years later he first publicly demonstrated instant film at the annual meeting of the Optical Society of America in New York City. The Polaroid was born. Different versions continued to be released; however it wasn't until 1963 that Polaroid released their most popular colour film. After 45 years of instant square-format magic and to much sadness from fans worldwide, Polaroid announced it was ceasing production in 2008.


Now two entrepreneurs, André Bosman and Florian Kaps have brought the machinery from Polaroid's film factory and are bringing back the long lost friend, the magic of instant photography. Documented as the Impossible Project the new film, now called PX Silver Shade is "not only referring to the beginning of the grand history of the beginning of the Polaroid, but makes it again possible to take breathtaking, monochrome, classy looking instant pictures, which feature a surprising potential of characteristics, tones, moods and astonishing results". And we are over the moon to have it available to buy here at The Red Door Gallery.

Michael Bywater reporting for the Independent spoke true when he stated that Polaroid is "more than any other photographic medium, the Polaroid is real. What comes out of the slot with its pretty whirr is a thing. You can pass it from hand to hand instantly. You can write on it. As a physical artifact, the Polaroid has an inherent texture which is slowly leaking away in the digital world: infinite reproducibility, but always on-screen". He ends by asking "How many of your photographs do you print?" and many of us would have to agree that most snaps taken now never become real objects to treasure in our hands.

PX Silver Shade, the new monochrome Polaroid, is a breath of authenticity, a symbol of living in the moment, a testament to the wonderful creativity and drive of Edwin Land, who answered his daughter's curiosity all that time ago and who ultimately made photography more beautiful and lots of fun for the world wide over.


Pictured top to bottom; Polaroid 600 camera, Edwin Land, PX Silver Shade available now in store at The Red Door Gallery, The team at The Impossible Project, The wonderful Edwin Land with his original creation.