George Eastman registers the Kodak trademark and roll-film camera patent

Background. George Eastman (1854–1932) was an American innovator and entrepreneur who helped bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he patented and sold a roll film camera. The name Kodak was devised by Eastman and his mother, Maria, using an Anagrams set; Eastman favored the letter 'k' as a strong, incisive sort of letter. His later Eastman Kodak Company was incorporated in 1892, after these 1888 events.

Trademark Registration. The Kodak name was trademarked by Eastman in 1888. He described it as short and euphonious and likely to stick in the public mind. Eastman recognized that film would return more profit than the cameras that used them, and focused on control of the film market, targeting young, white, middle-class women through Kodak Girl advertising.

Camera Patent. In 1888, Eastman patented and released the Kodak camera. U.S. patent 388,850 for the camera was filed in March 1888 and issued in September 1888. The separation of photo-taking from film development was novel, making photography more accessible to amateurs. The camera was immediately popular, causing Eastman to struggle to meet orders by August 1888.