Polaroid film: Exp.09.10.09
I found out that the last batch of Polaroid film reaches its “use by” date this Friday. So, digital has gone and killed yet another icon of the 20th century — no more “shake it, shake it…!” Last year, Polaroid announced that they had “made the difficult decision to cease manufacturing of instant film products in 2008”, predictably attributed to market conditions and falling sales.
Fans and, in particular, owners of Polaroid instant cameras protested to keep the technology alive and the production of the film going. Save Polaroid rallied enthusiasts to take action and other sites like Polanoid and My Last Polaroid celebrate the medium.
There may still be hope if The Impossible Project succeeds in their mission to re-invent the Integral film. The team comprises ex-employees and have leased a factory in the Netherlands. They hope to produce one million films in 2010.
‘Polaroid: Exp 09.10.09’, an exhibition to mark the film’s final expiration date, is on at the Atlas Gallery. I sure hope that this is not the end.
UPDATE 16-Oct-2009: The Impossible Project inspires Polaroid® to relaunch instant cameras
