An Historical Guide To Photo Booths

Adam Doughty • 6 March 2023

 - Boothco Limited -

Are you curious about the history and evolution of photo booths?

The photo booth has come a long way since its official creation in 1925.

The first official photo booth first made its formal debut at the International League of Amusement Parks and Theater Conventions show in Atlantic City in 1925. Since then, it's become popular all over the world as a fun way to capture sentimental moments with friends and family.

This article is intended to take you on a journey back in time to discover where this beloved technology came from, how it has changed over the years, and what makes it so unique to this day. 

Whether you are a passionate photographer or just a curious history lover, this guide will provide fascinating insights into the development of photo booths throughout the ages.


Development Of Photography

The invention of photography was a revolutionary moment for the world. It allowed people to capture moments in time and share them with others, creating a new way of communicating and preserving memories. 





Since then, photography has become an integral part of our lives. We use it to document events, capture special moments, and share our experiences with others. 

Photography has changed how we view the world around us and continues to evolve as technology advances.



  • Anatol Jesephewitz inside his Photomaton




1826  Photography is Invented


Photography was invented in 1826, and it took until 1889 for the first automated system for taking photos to appear.

This "automatic" system required an entire room and a staff of almost 20 people to operate it at the Paris World’s Fair that year. Despite this complexity, the process continued to be refined over the decades.






1925

 The Photomaton

It would take until 1925 for Anatol Josephewitz to patent a machine that took automatic photographs.

His machine was the first to resemble the old enclosed photobooths that we think of today.

Built in the heart of New York City, this “Photomaton” cost 25 cents ($3.50 in today’s money) to take eight pictures.

These pictures were then printed onto strips, in a process that took just over eight minutes.

Anatol Josephewitz opened a studio in Times Square where people could come and take pictures in the Photomaton, and he was taking over 7,000 photos a day.

Lines stretched out the door, and he was open until 4 AM.

His invention of an automatic picture booth allowed him to make $1,000,000, which would be equivalent to 14 million today, when he sold the rights to Henry Morgenthau Sr.

The new owners of the Photomaton rights took the design to a factory in Queens and started mass productions.

Eventually, investors took the idea around the world, and it is this design that informed photobooths for almost 90 years.



Photography To Photo Booths - How Did They Merge?


The photo booth has been around for over a century, with the earliest patent being filed in roughly 1888 by Edward Poole and William Pope in Baltimore. However, there isn’t a particularly known record of their invention in its working version. 

The French inventor who went by the name T.E Enjabert made the first working photo booth in 1889, and it was presented the same year in Paris, at the World’s Fair mentioned above. 

It was named “Appareil pour la photographie automatique” which translates roughly to Apparatus for Automatic Photography, but I think we can all agree, it sounds better in French! 

Despite these early attempts to create an automated photo booth, they were nowhere near as successful as expected due to their reliance on manual labour and lack of efficiency. 

It wasn't until 1925 when Anatol Josephewitz created the first automated coin-operated photo booth that the concept truly took off. 

His invention revolutionised photography and allowed people to take pictures without having to hire a professional photographer or wait for days for their photos to be developed. Since then, photo booths have become an integral part of our culture, providing us with fun memories that will last a lifetime!


Today's Photo Booths


Today's Photo Booth

The photo booth has come a long way since its invention over a hundred years ago. It has become an integral part of pop culture, due to the influence of Andy Warhol between the years of 1963 and 1966 when he produced hundreds of self-portraits and photo booth portraits.

Warhol popularised the photo booth as a unique art form that anyone could utilise.

ve chosen the image add your text. You can add text that describes the image you’ve selected or simply use the image for decorative purposes.

List of Services

Final Thoughts


The photo booth has come a long way since its official invention in 1925. It has become an integral part of pop culture, thanks to the influence of Andy Warhol and other creative minds. 

Today, it is a popular source of entertainment for events such as weddings, parties, school proms, and business events. The photo booth itself is a great way to capture memories that will last forever!


Share by: