Today, if we want to take a photo, we unlock our phone, aim, and click. It can be done on a whim, without a second thought. We document everything from new haircuts to latte art, cute cats to baby’s first smile. But prior to the 1900s, photography was the exclusive domain of professionals and dedicated hobbyists -- people willing to learn complex skills and ... Show More
Jan 2020
Electronic Television: The Picture Radio | S21-E1
The invention of the electronic television was uniquely complicated for its time. So complicated, in fact, that the prevailing narrative is that it couldn’t have been invented by a single person -- let alone Philo Farnsworth. After all, some of the most brilliant minds in the wor ... Show More
38m 57s
Feb 2020
Valium: Miltown Magic | S22-E1
Anxiety. It’s something everyone experiences at some point in their lives, but for centuries doctors had no effective way to treat it. They could send patients on rest cures, order them to do nothing at all, or prescribe barbiturates that depressed the central nervous system, eas ... Show More
39m 31s
Mar 2020
Organ Transplant: The Kidney Twins | S23-E1
A century ago, organ transplants were the stuff of science fiction. But a handful of experimental surgeons believed that transplants were not just possible – they had the potential to save thousands of lives. Then, in 1954, a man agreed to donate his kidney to his twin brother – ... Show More
42m 50s
Mar 2022
S1E153 - Kapow's Power of Invention: Digital Photos
It’s so easy to digital pictuyres, and you can have so many on your phone, in your pocket, that you end up taking them for granted. But you shouldn’t - because the digital photo was a very important, world changing invention, that we should all take the time to appreciate now and ... Show More
10m 43s
Dec 2024
📷 Polaroid: Invented (sort of) by a 3-Year-Old | 8
It’s the OG of instant photography — It paved the way for the iPhone, inspired Instagram, and fills every photo album on your parents’ bookshelf. Polaroid became a fave of world-class artists like Ansel Adams and Andy Warhol, but did you know its inventor, Edwin Land, actually go ... Show More
46m 13s
Jul 2016
The Invention of Photography
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the development of photography in the 1830s, when techniques for 'drawing with light' evolved to the stage where, in 1839, both Louis Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot made claims for its invention. These followed the development of the camera ... Show More
48m 46s
Jan 2009
Photo History Intersession – January 01
In the third History of Photography Intersession, we look at some interesting events from January first, as we commemorate the birth date of photographer William Klein, the anniversary of the death of Edward Weston, some facts about George Eastman and his inventions and the birth ... Show More
Feb 2020
Gulf Photo Plus & Seeing Things: Mohamed Somji
Just as the smartphone was revolutionizing the camera industry post-2007, a young expat was leaving behind his career as a brand marketer to become a photojournalist. Pull up a chair & join our conversation with Mohamed Somji, Director of Gulf Photo Plus & Founder, Seeing Things ... Show More
33m 59s