Photobooth Timeline and Brief History
TLDR: Analog photobooths evolved from early automated portrait experiments in the late 19th century such as the “Bosco” into the coin-operated “Photomaton” by Anatol Josepho in 1925. Mid-century cabins exploded across the world in popularity, but fell out of favor with the rise in consumer digital cameras in late 1990s. Since about 2010, a strong nostalgia-driven revival has been led by restorers and operators, such as those behind this site.
Expanded Timeline (More details added soon)
Late 1800s to Early 1920s
Experimental automated portrait machines date back to the late 19th century, created by Germans and the French. The machines were not truly fully automated and typically required an attendant for operation.
1925
Anatol Josepho files for a patent of his invention: the first fully automated photobooth, called The Photomaton. The invention drew upon his years of running photo studios in Hungary and China, and time spent studying motion picture production in Hollywood.
The Photomaton debuted in Manhattan in September, 1925. It was an instant success with upwards of 7500 people lining up each day to use the machines at the cost of 25 cents for a strip of 8 portraits, developed in 10 minutes. After six months, over a quarter million portraits had been taken.
1926
Josepho is contacted by a group of investors, led by Henry Morganthau Jr, an influential politician and businessman, along with the president of RCA, president of Underwood Typewriters, and a handful of other powerful investors.
1927
In March, 2027 The Photomaton Company is established after Josepho sells the rights to his patent for $1M plus royalties. He uses much of the proceeds to help the needy and help other inventors bring their ideas to life.
A Photomaton factory is built in Long Island. Photomaton Studios open nationwide. European rights are purchased by another group, and the photobooth goes worldwide.
1928
Josepho’s US patent on the Photomatic is granted (Patent No. 1,656,522).
1930-1950s
Copycat companies such as Photomovette, Photomatic, Phototeria, and Auto-Photo and begin popping up with their own style of photobooths. They sprout up in train stations to arcades and amusement parks. In the mid-1930s, the very art-deco, all metal Mutoscope Photomatic appears on the scene, snapping tin framed single portraits for a dime. Photomatics appear from coast to coast, becoming the most common photobooth in the States.
WW2 happens and the Photomatic factory is converted for war purposes.
1946-1960s
Auto-Photo is founded in Los Angeles. Their mass production factory rolls out the Model 9. The machine goes nationwide, and competes directly with the Mutoscope Photomatic. A very art deco Model 11 follows a few years later, and then the open-air feeling Model 14 in the mid 1960s. Some version of the 14 feature a top-heavy winged roof, adding collectible value.
1970-1980s
Auto-Photo is acquired by Photo-Me, from Europe. Many original booths get scrapped or rebuilt in favor of machines like the Model 17 and eventually the 20. Many variations of booths come out in this period (for example, the Model 17c rolls out of the factory in the mid-1970s as a color machine). Boxy, less flashy photobooths are faster to build and large quantities are produced.
1980s-1990s
This is the era where the Model 21 becomes widely produced by Photo-Me, still producing either b&w or color photos. Photo-Me comes up with a new busienss plan and analog photobooths disappear to landfills by the truckload in favor or new digital photobooths. Thousands of photobooths were scrapped or thrown away. The analog photobooth industry was reduced to a shell of what it used to be.
2000s
Analog photobooths all but disappear or sit abandoned and inoperable at businesses across the US. The last major nationwide operator of photobooths, Auto-Photo stopped maintaining corporate filings during this period. Their registered agent resigned their service with their then state of organization, Maryland, in 2008.
The last remaining Auto-Photo operator in North America continues to operate in Mont Royal, Quebec, but have since converted nearly all of their machines to digital.
Today
There are far fewer analog booths in the world today. It is widely quoted that there are less than 200 machines left (though we believe this false and overly pessimistic).
Today, photobooths are 100 years old and more scarce and valuable than ever. If you have a dip-and-dunk photobooth, we’d love to help you get it working. Or, allow us to purchase, restore, and place it in public again.
Information Credit
Much of this info was obtained and summarized from Wikipedia as well as the book, American Photobooth, by Näkki Goranin, the world’s foremost authority of photobooth history. You can find her book on AbeBooks.