08.28.09

Remember the days before everyone had a digital camera stuck on their cellphone? No? That’s ok. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine life Before Email. Thanks to the effort of a group of retropeneurs, you’ll soon be able to buy the camera everybody wanted… 30 years ago.

Taking a picture and seeing the results immediately was once a big deal. And by “immediately,” we mean “after a few minutes spent fanning the photo through the air.”

Ah, Polaroid. The “instant film” pioneer recently shut down it’s last remaining factory in an effort to rebrand itself as, you guessed it, a digital imaging company. Since their peak in the ’80s, Polaroids have gone from antiquated to retro to vintage. The parts and chemicals are no longer manufactured. Even if you had an old one sitting in your attic, finding new film required the tenacity of a collector.

Until now, that is. Say hi to The Impossible Project. The posse of instant film experts has taken on the (quixotic?) mission of reviving Polaroid’s industry. They’ve gone so far as to purchase Polaroid’s Dutch factory and equipment, and are reverse-engineering the instant film formulas.

It worked. The Impossible Project is on pace for a 2010 release. To promote the endeavor, Urban Outfitters announced it will sell limited editions of Polaroid’s final camera, the Polaroid ONE600 Classic, complete with new film.

More information on The Impossible Project is available on their website and in this New York Times article.

Source: idsgn.org
Image source: Mariana Mandarina