Kodachrome family snapshots

Kodachrome images by George Palmer, c. 1964–1975.

The Kodak Brownie democratised photography. The camera and film were cheap and the camera was easy to use, making it possible for more people to take photographs. Because the camera could be handheld, the way people photographed also changed, and soon the snapshot was born. Further developments in both camera and film technology made it easier for people like my grandfather to create images.

The vernacular images captured by the snapshooters have real value in representing life as it was. George Palmer, the author's grandfather, was a keen photographer and an early adopter of colour slide film. These photographs taken between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s are a small representation of the 1500 or so slides he made.