Did you know that 92 million selfies are taken every day, accounting for 4% of the 2.3 billion photos taken daily? Did you also know that women take 1.5 times more selfies than men? I think it’s safe to say that selfies play a big role in women’s social lives. As a matter of fact, photographs have always played an important part in women’s social lives throughout history. Just ask the Kodak Girl.
Born in 1893, the Kodak Girl was an iconic character created by the Eastman Kodak company – the people responsible for pioneering the original point and shoot cameras. She was featured in all the leading women’s magazines of the time. She was young and adventurous – a character that could appeal to the average woman. The Kodak Girl documented her travels around the globe with her Kodak Brownie camera.
The Eastman Kodak Company recognized that women were an important demographic for their brand, and that to entice them they needed to create a camera that was low cost and easy to use – the Kodak Brownie. From 1900 to 1905 over 1.2 million Brownie cameras were sold.
As a matter of fact, my very first camera was a Brownie that I inherited from my mom. I remember taking my Brownie with me on a girl scout camping trip where I snapped a photo of what I was convinced was the elusive Big Foot. Turned out, this Big Foot was actually a mossy tree stump.
Throughout history, photographs have been an important part of women’s social lives and continue to be with social media and smart phones. Photos document history, celebrate important moments, and help us relive our adventures for years to come. Photographs tell our stories.
Celebrate Women’s History Month and learn more about the Kodak Girl by visiting the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum website which features Diana Turnbow’s article, “Before Instagram, There was Kodak.”
For more information about photo organizing or methods to save and preserve your photos, please contact us at info@goldstarphotosolutions.com or call us at 530-264-5995.