George Eastman was am American inventor and philanthropist. Born Waterville, N.Y., July 12, 1854. Died Rochester, N.Y., March 14, 1932.
Eastman revolutionized photography by making it possible for inexperienced amateurs to take pictures. In 1880 he patented and began production of a dry photographic plate that superseded the complicated wet-plate process. The company he formed later became the Eastman Kodak Company. In 1888, Eastman invented the Kodak, a small camera for amateurs. The Kodak used another of his inventions: a roll of flexible paperbacked film, replacing the heavy glass plates generally used until then. His laboratories also developed color film and celluloid film for motion pictures.
Eastman gave most of his wealth, about 100 million dollars, to universities and dental clinics. The largest sums went to the University of Rochester, the Eastman School of Music and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.