The registration of the trademark Kodak and the patenting of a camera that used roll film marked a pivotal moment in the field of photography. George Eastman, an American entrepreneur and inventor, founded the Eastman Kodak Company, intending to make photography simple enough for everyone. Prior to this development, photography was a complicated process that required expensive equipment and the expertise to handle glass plates. Eastman's new design incorporated a roll film system that made the capturing of images significantly easier, requiring minimal technical knowledge from the user.

The Kodak camera was marketed with a catchy tagline, "You press the button, we do the rest," which appealed to everyday consumers. The camera came pre-loaded with a roll of film that could capture 100 exposures. After taking the pictures, users would send the camera back to the factory for developing, with Kodak returning the finished photos along with a reloaded camera. This innovation represented a major step toward the consumerization of photography and broadened the hobby to the masses.

Eastman's efforts not only revolutionized how images were captured and developed but also influenced art, journalism, and personal documentation across society. The ease of taking photos helped ordinary people document their lives, family events, and daily activities in a way that was previously unimaginable. This change in photography's accessibility laid the groundwork for the eventual rise of snapshot photography, transforming social customs around image capturing and sharing in the years to come.