Photo Booths are a mainstay of parties, events, and public places around the world. A photo booth is a great way of providing entertainment and ensuring people engage during the event. Whenever someone is planning an event, one of their top goals is to make the event memorable. And what’s a better way to do so than literally capturing the memories in photos?
In this blog, we will learn about the interesting evolution of photo booths. This blog aims to inform you about the history of photo booths and the various types of photo booths that have emerged since then.
A] What Are Photo Booths?
Photo booths are portable booths or kiosks that take pictures and are often placed in busy locations for entertainment. It has an automated or coin-operated camera that takes pictures of an individual or a group to capture the memories. The classic versions provide stripes of photos while the modern iteration uploads the digital images directly to the user via the Internet.
Also Read: AI Photo Booths: What Makes Them So Engaging?
B] The Complete History Of Photo Booths
- Prototype And Invention
Photo Booths have been around for more than a hundred years. The first automatic photo machine was introduced in 1889 at the World’s Fair in Paris and was created by the French inventor T. E. Enjalbert. A patent for a machine that resembled a photo booth as we know it was also filed by German-born photographer Mathew Steffens from Chicago that same year. Of course these were all a prototype for what was to come about thirty-five years later.
- First Commercial Photo Booth
In 1925, a siberian jewish photographer, Anatol Josepho, created what we know today as the first commercial photo booth. The photo booth was displayed at Broadway, New York and was a hit amongst many patrons within the first six months. For a mere cost of twenty-five cents, the machine could develop and print eight black and white photos in about ten minutes. On March 27, 1927, The Photomaton Company paid Josepho one million dollars and guaranteed future royalties for his invention. Their aim was to place photo booths across the United States.
- Popularity, Expansion, And Colourisation
Throughout the 1930s and 40s, photo booths became extremely popular throughout the entire USA. The classic version of the photo booth that had a curtain and produced strips of black and white, passport sized photos were everywhere. The privacy of the photo booth gave people a freedom to be themselves and capture memories on the go. By the time the 1950s rolled around, the invention of colourised photos gave photo booths a new life. They became a common sight in public places such as train stations, bus terminals, and amusement parks.
- Decline In Popularity
As the polaroids and other hand-held cameras became widely available in the 1960s, the popularity of photo booths began to fade away. This phase continued for a complete three decades till the late 80s. But it was not all bad for the photo booths. By the 80s, photo booths had entered Japan and India. Here they stayed in the lime-light and quickly became very popular.
- Digital Age And A Place In Pop Culture
By the early 1990s digital photo booths were introduced. These new-age photomatons quickly replaced the older versions from malls, parks, and other public places. Now they were considered more than just a way to capture photos; they were seen as art. As many American TV shows and movies began to feature photo booths, their place in pop culture was solidified.
- A Cornerstone Of Event Entertainment
By the early 2000s, the novelty of photo booths was over. The only reason one would go to a public photo booth was purely for nostalgia. But at the same time, photo booths started to appear in events such as weddings, corporate events, and school and college functions. By the mid-2010s, digital photo booths became a common sight at such events; driving engagement and entertainment.
- The Revolutionary Application of AI
As of 2024, AI has revolutionised the Internet and several technologies and the same can be said for the event photo booths industry. AI photo booths use the generative capabilities of AI to offer an unrivalled event experience. It can be customised as per the event, offering personalised backgrounds and filters. With the immense technological development, AI photo booths can now not only capture photos, but also provide valuable analytical data about the event guests. Event organisers use AI photo booths to engage and entertain audiences and make the event memorable.
Also Read: AI Photo Booths : The Future of Event Entertainment
C] Where Can You Find The Latest AI Photo Booth In India For Your Event?
Renting AI photo booths for events is one of the best ways to make them memorable. 360BrightMedia is one of the most reputed manufacturers of AI photo booths in India, renting them for events. With years of experience in enhancing events with the latest technologies, we help you plan and organise futuristic events.
Our AI-powered photo booths have seen great success in events across the country. It offers features like personalisation, generative AI, and instant photo delivery via email. Our AI photo booths can be tailored for various events, including weddings, corporate events, conventions, and family functions. If this sounds like exactly the thing your event needs, get in touch with us today to get a quote.
Conclusion
Photo booths have come a long way since their inception in 1889. Over the decades, they have been at absolute heights of pop culture and also survived going into obscurity. Today, with the addition of generative AI, photo booths are revolutionising event experience for organisers and guests alike, across industries.
If you are also looking to enhance your next event with cutting-edge entertainment and engagement solutions, contact us today! Our experts are always eager to help you organise a truly mesmerising event. We also offer a range of engagement tools for event managers, including AI photo booths, AR/VR games and headsets, and 360 Video Booths.