Bringing analog instant film back from the dead

Craft & Design Photography & Video
Bringing analog instant film back from the dead
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Recently, at a party, DC-area artist and photographer Jason Horowitz was lamenting the death of instant Polaroid film. I told him I’d read somewhere online that some folks had figured out (or were in the process of figuring out) how to make instant film so this beloved medium could live on. I made a mental note to look this up when I got home, to do a posting about it, but forgot. Jason didn’t. He found what I was vaguely remembering, The Impossible Project. Started by a former Polaroid employee and a member of an online analog film fansite, the two have leased the former Polaroid factory in the Netherlands and hired chemists, engineers, and technicians to help them create a 21st century “integral film” that will work in 20th century Polaroid cameras. They even solicit help online — for instance, they’re currently looking for people who knowledge about latex chemistry to help in engineering the “latex timing layer,” a layer in the deposition of the instant film.

The Impossible Project [Thanks, Jason!]

More:
No more Polaroid… instant film – and MAKE’s look at Polaroid projects

4 thoughts on “Bringing analog instant film back from the dead

  1. John Park says:

    I want it on a tshirt.
    Also, I love the idea of this whole project, particularly how they got together and leased the old factory. Reminds me a bit of those guys who secretly worked to fix the Pantheon’s clock in Paris.

  2. Mig says:

    What’s the name of this film fansite? Gotta get me some of that action. I had quick look on the site but can’t find it.

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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

View more articles by Gareth Branwyn

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