Innovator Profile Series 3: EDWIN H. LAND (1909 - 1991)

Steve Jobs of Apple was both inspired and awed by him and in many ways shaped Apple after his company. This driven, incredibly talented man held 535 patents, second to only to Thomas Edison’s 1,093 patents at that time. He never completed a degree at Harvard University, but he was self-taught and superbly competent, even brilliant in applying what he learned about physics, chemistry and other disciplines to his numerous discoveries and achievements. He created one of the most technically-advanced, game-changing significant products of its time. Yet, today, few people remember (let alone appreciate) this technology pioneer, scientist and inventor extraordinaire. His relative obscurity today reflects the fact that the marvelous inventions for which he was best known were rendered virtually obsolete by the very digital technology revolution that turned Steve Jobs into a international business and cultural icon.

He was a deep person of great character devoid of flair, charisma and grandiosity like so many famous businesspeople today. He was a scientist first and foremost “dedicated to performing an experiment every day.” This strict disciple of continuous exploration, experimentation, testing and refining that led to those hundreds of patents reflected what he believed was a basic inherent trait in himself and other scientists who made a difference in their fields. He said, “If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing to excess.” He usually described himself as an inventor and physicist, but he also was well-versed in chemistry, optics and many other disciplines and sciences.

He was Edwin H. Land, primarily known as the inventor of the immensely popular Polaroid instant camera, known as the Polaroid Land Camera that was introduced in 1947. The Model 95 Land Camera was the first camera to use instant film to quickly produce photographs without developing them in a film laboratory. He received honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Carnegie Institute of Technology, University, Willams College, Tufts College, Washington University, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, University of Massachusetts, Brandeis University and many others. Edwin H. Land was known was both a transcendent innovator and innovative leader in his business the Polaroid Corporation. Despite the fact that he had no formal degree, his employees, friends and the media respected his great scientific accomplishments by deferentially addressing him as Dr. Land.

A game-changing innovator changes the lives of countless people. Dr. Land did that by his invention of the instant camera that radically changed the picture-taking habits of millions of people (both amateurs and professionals) around there world, not even including his other breakthrough products. In the 1960s, a Polaroid marketing executive estimated that half the households in the U.S. had polaroid instant cameras. The Polaroid Corporation was founded in 1937 as a follow on to the Land-Wheelright Laboratories that Land created with one of his Harvard Professors. Besides having the position of Polaroid’s chairman, Dr, Land was its president from 1937 to 1975. Started in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and spread across several towns, Polaroid became a juggernaut of innovation and scientific discovery. During his 40 years of activity, he was variously CEO, COO and Director of Research. His management responsibilities ended when he stepped down as Chairman at the age of 73.

Circumstance and Serendipity Started the Process

It was 1926 when Land was walking along Broadway in New York City. He was overwhelmed by all the bright lights of the stores and signs and the glare from all the headlights on the cars. He felt this presented not only a safety hazard, but a discomfort factor in viewing all those bright lights. Though he started Harvard University, he dropped out and began doing intensive research at the New York Public Library. Being the unrelenting, obsessively curious and driven person to find some answers, he discovered a laboratory at Columbia University and he climbed in at night through the unlocked window to conduct experiments where he came up with the first inexpensive polarizing filters for light.

Future Innovators Learn From Successful Innovators

Several people who knew Steve Jobs pointed out that he was deeply inspired and impressed with Dr. Land. In his renowned comprehensive biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson quotes Jobs as indicating that Land was one of his cherished childhood heroes. Carl Johnson, who was VP of advertising for the Polaroid corporation, wrote about the unified views between Land and Jobs when they met after Dr. Land was pushed out of his company. 

Steve Jobs learned several key things from Dr. Land as they both shared that:

1. Successful product innovation requires a great designer’s eye to spot and bring incredible products to life. Jobs embraced that fully as does Jonathan “Jony” Ive, who remains the chief design officer at Apple. Elegant, beautiful, simple design and operation that captivates and enchants the user is at the heart of product innovation and excellence.
2. The ideal innovative business is one composed of both competent managers and imaginative dreamers and visionaries and it is the responsibility of managers to protect those “creatives” against the antibodies of change and new ideas in the organization.
3. When the solid, undeniable facts are presented and they are not what one expects or desires to hear, smart innovators embrace them (sometimes painfully) and learn from them anyway.
4. A great business is a distinctive melding of science, art and brilliant engineering. 

Sudden Insight, Revelation and Metaphor

By their very nature, innovators, scientists and inventors are curious. Their antennas are always ready to receive signals of opportunities and possibilities. The word “impossible” simply does not exist in their mindset. They believe just about all things are achievable given even time, money and experimentation and discovery. And so it was while Dr. Land and his family were on vacation in New Mexico in late 1943 that the concept of instant photography came into his head in a sudden “Eureka!” moment triggered by a naive question from his 3 year old daughter Jennifer. During a stroll with her, she was bewildered why a camera could not produce immediate photos on the spot. 

Afterward in a collection of papers that was made public years later, Dr Land wrote, “I recall a sunny day in Santa Fe when my little daughter asked why she could not see at once the picture I had just taken of her. As I walked around the charming town, I undertook the task of solving the puzzles she had set me.” Now seriously, how many of us would feel a sense of utmost sudden commitment to achieve that daunting task? Amazingly Land continued, “Within an hour, the camera, the film and the physical chemistry became so clear to me.” 

It took painstaking work to turn his insight into a working reality. Four years later, in 1947, Dr. Land showed his photographic process at a scientific meeting in Manhattan, New York. It initially produced sepia and brown prints, but with continuous improvement in 1950, the pictures came out in black and white. The breakthrough process involved exposing the film and then developing the negative at the same time the print was made by using a system of rollers that squeezed the exposed film against the paper that was to become the photo print. As the miniature rollers pushed the negative and paper along, they also broke open a small sealed pod that was attached to the paper — the pod contained developing chemicals that the rollers evenly spread between the negative and the photo paper. Land said, “The purpose of inventing instant photography was essentially aesthetic.”

The next evolution was a camera that created an instant color photograph that went on sale in 1963. The initial Model 95 and subsequent Polaroid Land Cameras required complex procedures to produce good photographs. Photographic paper had to be manually pulled from the cameras, peeled open after 60 seconds, needed several minutes to dry, and often left developing chemicals on the user’s hands. The Land photographic process found numerous commercial, military and scientific applications.

Fast forward to the time that John Sculley (CEO of Apple) and Steve Jobs visited Dr Land, Sculley recounted, “As we sat around a large conference table, Dr. Land remarked that great products like his Polaroid instant camera aren’t really invented by any of us — they’ve always existed, right there in front of us, just waiting to be discovered.” Jobs connected immediately with Land’s observation and belief, saying the reason he never trusted consumer research when he envisioned or built a prototype product was that he trusted his own instincts and intuition more than others who could not “see” what he saw and its impact. It was Michelangelo’s saying that, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and the task of the sculptor is to discover it.” In the same way, Both Land and Jobs saw themselves as discoverers of that inner sculpture. As innovative leaders, they build a cadre of “creative sculpturers to advance their visions. 

Playing The Creative Showman

During his brief period in Harvard University, Land became interested in polarized light— the light in which all rays are aligned in the same plane. He envisioned a myriad of products and applications for polarizer sheets. He took a leave of absence from Harvard and after extensive study and experimentation succeeded in 1932 in aligning submicroscopic crystals of iodoquinine sulfate and them embedding them in a sheet of plastic. He unofficially named it the Polaroid J Sheet. It was a tremendous advance (scientifically and commercially) because it significantly reduced the cost of it and enabled the application of almost any size of polarizer. The uses included Polaroid material in optics, sunglasses, camera filters, equipment for three-dimensional movies and other more sophisticated optical equipment. The polarizing ability reduced glare from headlights and other sharp light sources. And selling the value of polarized products, with a tad bit of theatrical flair might have been in order for the serious scientist.

Steve Jobs always held the title of the “corporate showman” who, especially in his presentations, displayed masterful salesmanship, charisma, stage presence and pizzazz. But while Dr. Land was a rather conservative persona, he realized that using creativity to show the unique properties and effectiveness of his products was needed to clinch a sale. He knew that a dramatic demonstration of the performance of the polarizers he developed would significantly enhance the optical quality of sunglasses. So, in a rented hotel room, he invited executives from the American Optical Company to meet him there for him to close a deal. 

The late afternoon sun produced a glare on the window sill. Dr. Land purposely put a fishbowl there next to the window knowing that the strong glare would make the goldfish inside the bowl invisible. When the executives arrived, Land handed them a sheet of polarizer material from his lab and they were able to clearly see the fish immediately. Land told them that their sunglasses should be made with his polarized glass and they agreed. As a historical footnote, airmen in the B-29 Enola Gay bomber that delivered the first atomic bomb observed the nuclear mushroom cloud over Hiroshima through Polaroid goggles.

Even before Steve Jobs did his impressive, theatrical demos at Apple’s product introduction meetings, Dr. Land made gave his latest camera a dramatic entry. At the Polaroid company meeting in 1972, he stepped onto the stage and took out a compact, folded SX-70 from his suit coat pocket and in ten seconds shot off five pictures, both actions impossible with previous Land Cameras. That camera was the Polaroid SX-70, and it was the innovation that made truly "instant" photography possible for the first time ever. It was a marvel of miniature advanced engineering and technology that included many sophisticated designs elements.

Pictures from the SX-70, unlike the previous instant cameras, ejected the photos automatically and developed them quickly without chemical residue. It included a sonar auto focusing system and numerous other breakthrough features. The outward simplicity of operation and the compact, sleek design of the SX-70 system for photographers belied its technical complexity. Within the 2 millimeter thick film unit was a sandwich of thin polymer sheets, a positive image-receiving sheet, reagent, timing and light reflecting layers, and the tri-color negative having 17 layers in total! When it was first sold back in 1972, it truely represented the culmination and highlight of Dr. Land’s 1943 dream of achieving “magical” instant photography.

Innovators Mantra: “Build It and They Will Come!”

Many innovators who are visionaries and futurists believe that asking consumers what they want or having focus groups to gauge their reactions to possible new products (especially radically different ones) are not typically useful. Doctor Land and Steve Jobs believed that market research was unnecessary because any invention or new product or service would sell if people believed it was something they desperately needed or “couldn’t live without.” So often the consumer doesn’t yet see the need or appreciate the extraordinary value, usefulness or elegant beauty or operation of it until they actually experience it firsthand.

While there were various iterations of a vehicle that was “van-like,” Chrysler is credited with inventing the modern mini-van. Launched in 1983, the 1984 Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager set the stage for a new type and category of vehicle that was not a commercial van or station wagon, but one that would fit in a standard garage, had car-like ride and handling and had reduced noise, vibration and harshness levels compared to commercial vans. It had to have a flat floor for easy entry and loading, a large sliding side door and removable seats and the ability to carry 4x8 foot plywood sheets flat. No other “practical,” non-commercial vehicle existed like that before. Chrysler’s Lee Iacocca like Polaroid’s Land or Apple’s Steve Jobs, intuitively knew that a new product category that would change a consumer’s experience would catch on and sell… and it did. True innovators often create something quite new when others simply stand by or wait for potential buyers to show a need or interest.

Intense Focus and Dedication to What Comes Next

Dr. Land stayed away from publicity and maintained a rather humble stance in spite of the his prestigious and impressive awards such as the Elliott Cresson Medal, National Medal of Science, Presidential Medal of Freedom (highest honor granted to civilians in the U.S.) and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He made the cover of Time Magazine (June 26, 1972) with his photo holding a SX-70 film camera with the caption, “Here comes This Great New Camera.” This purist of a scientist, however disliked biography attempts saying, “I regard my scientific papers as my essential biography.” He was like many other driven, dedicated innovators in that he refused to rest on his laurels, “I pour my whole life into the scientific project I’m investigating. I leave behind the things I’ve done in the past to do the work in the present.”

Famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright was asked, “What do you consider your greatest achievement?” He shot back, “The next one!” This precisely epitomizes how serial innovators like Dr. Land, Steve Jobs, Nikola Tesla, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Walt Disney and so many other game-changers feel and acted. As an innovator, not just scientist, Land knew the importance of doing something valuable that impacts lives and businesses, “As I review the nature of the creative drive in the inventive scientists around me, as well as myself, I find the first event is an urge to make a significant intellectual contribution that can be tangible embodied in a product for process.”

Some Innovations Fail With Serious Consequences

Even brilliant inventors and scientists like Land make mistakes, even though their initial concepts and even execution seemed to be right on target. Nevertheless, Dr. Land who would say that “Optimism is a moral duty,” held to that belief and practice. Polavision was an "instant" color home movie system launched by his company in 1977. It was late to market and had to compete with upcoming videocassette-based systems. For that reason and others, the Polavision system was a major commercial failure and was discontinued in 1979. The company sustained a significant financial loss on the Polavision venture and as a result Dr. Land chose to resign his position as Chairman. 

About the Man

Edwin Herbert Land was a deep and complex man of strong character and substance. Elkan Blout, a close colleague of his, said of him, “What was Land like? Knowing him was a unique experience. He was a true visionary. He saw things differently from other people, which is what led him to idea of instant photography. He was a brilliant, driven man who did not spare himself and who enjoyed working with equally driven people.”  Dr. Land often made management and technical decisions based on what he felt was right as both a scientist and a humanist, much to the chagrin of Wall Street and his investors. From the beginning of his professional career, he hired women and trained them to be research scientists. He encouraged Polaroid to support the civil rights movement and as a part of this initiative he hired people belonging to the minority groups in his company. After retiring, he founded the ‘Rowland Institute for Science’ to continue research work on optics. His laboratory eventually discovered how color is perceived in the human brain.

Innovation Learning Lessons From Edwin H. Land

For decades, as the head of and chief brain trust of the Polaroid Corporation, Dr. Land provided the ideas, inspiration and impetus for a long line of innovative photographic and other products. He started inventing in a Cambridge, Massachusetts garage and over 40 years built up a great company that had revenues of about $1.4 billion all over the world. He never diversified into other unrelated businesses and sticking to his guns, he did not sell out to another corporation and never borrowed money on a long-term basis. Dr. Land will be remembered and honored as a truly great scientist, inventor, innovative leader and businessman.

Here are some key things we can learn from this amazing man:

1. Continuously experiment, test and improve your creative ideas.
2. Believe that your innovative concept can be done... and act upon it with confidence.
3. Hire the most talented, driven and diverse people to bring your vision to reality.
4. Realize that you can make a difference in your life for yourself and others.
5. Use creativity in every aspect and operation of your business from R&D, product design, sales, marketing, advertising, distribution, manufacturing and other areas.
6. Keep your creative intensity and passion burning. Don’t let setbacks or “failures” keep you from your dreams.
7. Be a “positive troublemaker” who fights the status quo and rocks the boat in your organization to get it moving in the right innovative direction.
8. “Politeness is the poison of collaboration,” Dr. Land said. So encourage a positive discourse on ideas with your teams, but be candid and frank in your feedback to others while not being a harsh or insensitive critic. Vigorously explore other variations or new ideas. Don’t hold in what you really think.

Ask any game-changer, quantum-leaper or “breakthrough artist" if your life will change when you become more committed to your dreams and vision than you are to your comfort or safety zone.

About the Author

Ray Anthony is the author of 8 books and over 80 articles on organization change, innovation, leadership, creativity, and other business topics. His latest book is Innovative Presentations for Dummies (Wiley Publishing). Ray is an executive coach, corporate trainer, videographer, producer and dynamic keynote speaker who has worked with Fortune 500 corporations and elite government agencies to help improve their operational and financial performance and boost their innovation. He can be reached at innovader@comcast.net or office: 281-364-7739 or cell: 832-594-4747.