
Hannibal Williston Goodwin (April 30, 1822 – December 31, 1900), patented a method for making transparent, flexible roll film out of
nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and ...
film base
A film base is a transparent substrate which acts as a support medium for the photosensitive emulsion that lies atop it. Despite the numerous layers and coatings associated with the emulsion layer, the base generally accounts for the vast majorit ...
, which was used in
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...
's
Kinetoscope, an early machine for viewing
motion pictures.
Biography
Goodwin was born on April 30, 1822, in
Ulysses, New York, and was raised on a farm.
He began taking college classes at
Yale Law School
Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...
in 1844, then
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...
, and finally earned his degree in 1848 at
Union College
Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...
. Goodwin began studying at
Union Theological Seminary in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to become an Episcopal preacher.
After taking positions in Bordentown (Christ Church, 1852-1854), Newark (St. Paul's, 1854-1858), and Trenton (Trinity Church, 1859) in New Jersey, he went to California to recover his health from a bronchial complaint, serving parishes in Napa (Christ Church, 1859-1862), Marysville (St. John's, c.1859-1862), and San Francisco (Grace Church/Cathedral, 1862-1867). In 1867, Goodwin came back to New Jersey settled down as the fifth rector of the
House of Prayer Church in
Newark, where he would serve the next twenty years.
Essex County,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
.
Goodwin was motivated to search for a non-breakable, and clear substance on which he could place the images he utilized in his Biblical teachings.
He set up a chemistry lab in the attic of the Plum house rectory and sawed a five foot hole in the roof for better sunlight.
On May 2, 1887, the year Goodwin retired from the church he had served for twenty years, he filed a patent for "a photographic pellicle and process of producing same ... especially in connection with roller cameras", but the patent was not granted until 13 September 1898. In the meantime,
George Eastman
George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he ...
had already started production of roll-film using his own process.
In 1900, Goodwin set up the ''Goodwin Film and Camera Company'', but before film production had started he was involved in a street accident near a construction site and died from complications of a broken leg and
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
on December 31, 1900.
Legacy
Goodwin's patent was sold to
Ansco who successfully sued Eastman
Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
for infringement of the patent and was awarded $5 million (over $120 million in 2020) on March 10, 1914.
The Newark International Film Festival named one of their main awards the Hannibal Goodwin Award for Innovation in Filmmaking.
References
External links
PBS History of Photography timelineInvention & Technology article about Goodwin/Eastman patent dispute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodwin, Hannibal
1822 births
1900 deaths
Union College (New York) alumni
Clergy from Newark, New Jersey
19th-century American inventors
19th-century American Episcopal priests