Papers of Myron S. Simon

Myron S. Simon

Myron S. Simon (1926-2022) was an American chemist and a specialist in instant color photography processes. Born in Burlington, Vermont in 1926, Simon was educated at Harvard University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree (1946), master’s degree (1948), and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry (1949). At Harvard, he studied with many notable chemists, including Paul D. Bartlett and Gilbert Stork. He completed his Ph.D. research under Robert Burns Woodward.

Upon completing his studies at Harvard, Simon went to work as a research scientist at Polaroid Corporation in 1949, where he went on to enjoy a distinguished thirty-nine year career. At Polaroid, he became a noted specialist in instant color photography. Simon produced the first effective cyan dye developer. Under the direction of Stanley Bloom, he worked on the opacification process, which was an essential step in the development of Polaroid’s SX-70 instant color photography system. He also developed the “Chemical Curtain”, which protects SX-70 photographs while they are developing in light.

Simon rose through the ranks of Polaroid’s research hierarchy, eventually becoming Research Fellow and Associate Director of Organic Chemistry. Over the course of his career with Polaroid, he was awarded over seventy patents in the field of instant color photography. Simon retired from Polaroid Corporation in 1988.

In addition to his work at Polaroid, Simon was the founder of Image-Imation Associates and served as a consultant through 1996. He was also an active member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), becoming chairman of ACS’ Northeastern Section in 1985. In this capacity, he sponsored Glenn Seaborg’s proposal to end nuclear testing. Simon also served on numerous ACS committees and was co-editor of NUCLEUS.

Myron S. Simon passed away on May 23, 2022.

Polaroid Corporation

Polaroid Corporation was an American photography firm. Founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land, it was long synonymous with instant photography. Polaroid introduced its first instant camera, the Model 95 Land Camera, in 1948. The success of this camera prompted the company to further develop instant photography technology over the next several decades. Initially confined to black and white images only, the corporation worked long years to perfect instant color photography. It succeeded with its SX-70 System, which debuted in 1972.

Polaroid successfully defended itself against arch-rival Eastman Kodak’s attempts to market their own instant color photography system in a 1986 court case. Unfortunately, the corporation’s hierarchy remained indifferent to the growing popularity of digital photography. The failure to move aggressively into this growing new field led to a steady erosion of profits, causing Polaroid to declare bankruptcy in 2001.

After Polaroid declared bankruptcy, most of the firm’s assets were acquired by Polaroid Holding Company (PHC). PHC licensed the use of the Polaroid name to other companies for use on a number of products. Flextronic Limited, the purchaser of Polaroid’s former manufacturing facilities, ceased production of Polaroid instant cameras in 2007 and discontinued sales of Polaroid film in 2009. Polaroid Holding Company declared bankruptcy in 2008. It subsequently ended up under the control of PLR IP Holdings, LLC, a private equity firm.

In 2017, the brand and intellectual property of Polaroid Corporation were acquired by Polish investor Wiacezlaw Smolokowski. Smolokowski was the largest shareholder of the Impossible Project, a manufacturer of Polaroid compatible film. The Impossible Project was renamed Polaroid Originals in 2017. This firm currently markets instant cameras, instant film, and other products under the Polaroid name.

Sources

Papers of Myron S. Simon, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Polaroid Corporation Records, Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts - https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/11/resources/619.

Polaroid Originals Website - https://us.polaroid.com/.