The story of Polaroid is not just about nostalgic square snapshots, but a large-scale drama about the creation and fall of a great empire. In this lecture, we will break down how Steve Jobs’ idol, the genius Edwin Land, built top-secret spy cameras for the CIA, why these cameras became the main surveillance tool for East Germany's Stasi, and how Andy Warhol turned a commercial gadget into high art.

You will learn the inside story of fierce corporate wars: from the treacherous patent theft by the giant Kodak to the fatal failure of the Polavision technology, which led the board of directors to cynically force the founder to resign. This triggered a chain of events that drove the titan of the 80s and 90s to a high-profile bankruptcy in the digital age.

The lecture will feature photo and video archives, as well as a live collection of legendary vintage Polaroid cameras that you can personally hold and examine in detail.

Come touch the true magic of photography and learn how iconic brands lose everything only to make a triumphant resurrection.