Drew Thompson Appears in the PBS Documentary Mr. Polaroid
Professor Drew Thompson. Photo by Alessandro Fresco
Associate Professor Drew Thompson will appear in the PBS Documentary Mr. Polaroid, premiering May 19 on American Experience. Mr. Polaroid tells the story of the inventor of the Polaroid camera Edwin Land, who released his first instant camera in 1948. Long before the smartphone, the Polaroid “would launch not only instant photography mania but also become the model for today’s Silicon Valley tech culture.”
Thompson has written about the Polaroid Revolutionary Workers’ movement which opposed Polaroid’s use in apartheid South Africa’s passport system. Caroline Hunter and Ken Williams, two employees at Polaroid, cofounded the movement to pressure the company to acknowledge its involvement in apartheid. Through archival research and speaking with Hunter, Thompson learned how PRWM used Polaroid’s marketing against them and ultimately pressured them to end their business in South Africa.
Post Date: 05-13-2025
Thompson has written about the Polaroid Revolutionary Workers’ movement which opposed Polaroid’s use in apartheid South Africa’s passport system. Caroline Hunter and Ken Williams, two employees at Polaroid, cofounded the movement to pressure the company to acknowledge its involvement in apartheid. Through archival research and speaking with Hunter, Thompson learned how PRWM used Polaroid’s marketing against them and ultimately pressured them to end their business in South Africa.
Post Date: 05-13-2025