Instamatic Clouds

Instamatic Clouds and the square format of the photos reproduced in the book seem to connect to social media and the cloud of the present. But the title is to be taken literally: The overcast sky was photographed from relevant points in New York like museums, parks, squares, department stores, and buildings, named in the caption. Also listed is the exact time each picture was taken between September 1973 and February 1974, when, as the “Notes” at the end inform, daylight saving time was introduced as a trial in the USA due to severe energy shortages.

The title also refers to the camera used, according to the preliminary note: a Kodak Pocket Instamatic 10 Camera, the cheapest version of the new generation of inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras at the time. The brand name combines “instant” and “automatic,” however it refers not to the instant picture but to the revolutionary quick and easy loading of the film. Kennedy’s book thus positions the Kodak Instamatic as a forerunner of today’s ubiquitous instant photo culture as well as the low-cost print-on-demand photobook. The note ends with the enigmatic information: “The Camera was later stolen.”