20-by-24 Chicago Polaroid Studio

About the Exhibition

Another museum initiative, the 20-by-24 Polaroid Studio, had profound affects on local and state communities. One of six in the world, the Polaroid 20-by-24 camera, on loan to the museum by the Polaroid Corporation, is a highly sophisticated instrument, producing a full color or black-and-white contact photograph in seventy seconds. The resulting photographs offer exquisite resolution and virtually grainless surfaces. Mounted on wheels for mobility, the camera’s full-size Fresnel viewing screen provides a brighter, clearer picture than with most view cameras, facilitating focusing and framing. Photographers, art and creative directors, stylists, and photo editors working in the studio receive their prints instantly, so they can make on-the-spot modifications. The full-time service of a technical expert is included in the rental fee; technical assistance can be as comprehensive or unobtrusive as desired. The Polaroid camera is available for use for both educational and creative purposes. Over the past seven months, the museum has collaborated with the photography departments of Columbia College Chicago and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Renaissance Society, and Gallery 37.