Item is a Polaroid instant camera, with a plastic body and neck strap, that usually sells for around $20. Features include: a 116 mm, f/11, single-element plastic lens, with autofocus (2-zone detection), an electronic shutter with speeds ranging from 1/4-1/200 sec, an autoflash and manual exposure control through the use of a lighten/darken control. Serial number is G56 02CUX VAGA.

Item is a Polaroid instant camera, with a plastic body and hand strap, that usually sells for around $20. Features include: a 25mm f/10 3-element Quintic lens, a self-timer, an optional flash button, photos are exposed automatically, sonar autofocus, sound, a manual lighten/darken option and a remote control option. Serial number is M6V21V42NA.

Item is a Polaroid instant camera with a plastic body. Features include: a built-in flash, manual exposure control by a light/darken switch, an autofocus lens with red-eye reduction. Serial number is T-094-C.

Series consists of cameras that combine exposure and development in one step to create photographs instantaneously.
While Polaroid is by far the most well known of these cameras, the first patent for instant photography was for the Dubroni, a French wet plate camera, designed so that the glass plate could be sensitized and developed by pouring the chemicals over the plate through a tube in the camera. Later cameras were developed so small tintypes (1895) and direct paper positives (1913) could be made quickly for tourists on busy streets.
But it was the Polaroid Corporation that made instant photography a household item, beginning in 1937 when Edwin Land's young daughter's desire to see her photograph immediately, inspired him to develop the Polaroid's first instant camera: the Land Camera.

The Heritage Collection also contains Kodak Instant Cameras; produced in the late 1970's, they spawned a patent infringement lawsuit from the Polaroid corporation that resulted in the recall all of instant Kodak models sold and the discontinuation of their production.

To browse the individual items in this series, click on the "View the list" link under the "File and item records are available for this series" title (to the right of the page).

Source: <a href="http://www.shutterbug.com/content/it%E2%80%99s-instant%E2%80%94-it%E2%80%99s-not-polaroid-pre-and-post-polaroids-1864-1976">Wade, John. "It's Instant - But It's Not Polaroid: Pre- And-PostPolaroids, From 1864 to 1976." Shutterbug : Published May 1, 2012.</a>