How Much Did the First Polaroid Camera Cost in 1948?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The Polaroid Land Camera price was $89.75 when it went on sale on November 26, 1948. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $1,250 in September 2026 money, roughly 13.9 times the original price.
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Polaroid Land Camera Model 95 at a glance
- US launch price
- $89.75
- In today’s money
- ≈ $1,250November 1948 to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US release date
- November 26, 1948
- Where it was invented
- Cambridge, United StatesInvented by Edwin Land at Polaroid, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Category
- Big purchases
- Price source
- history.com
Today’s price is the US launch price adjusted for US inflation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, comparing the launch month with the latest published month. It updates automatically as new figures come out.
The first instant camera
The Model 95 was the first commercial instant camera. It developed both the negative and the positive image inside the camera in about a minute, so you could see your photo almost straight away.
It went on sale at the Jordan Marsh department store in Boston, and it sold out within minutes on the first day.
The Polaroid Land Camera price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 1948. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the original Polaroid Land Camera price of $89.75 works out at about $1,250 in September 2026 money, around 13.9 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what the Polaroid Land Camera sells for second-hand.
Who invented the Polaroid camera?
Edwin Land, co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation, invented it. Polaroid was based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company had started out making polarising filters, and took the name Polaroid in 1937.
The story goes that on holiday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Land’s three-year-old daughter Jennifer asked why she could not see a photo straight after he took it. That question set him thinking about instant photography.
When was the Polaroid camera released?
- Polaroid Corporation named: 1937
- Instant film demonstrated: February 21, 1947, to the Optical Society of America
- On sale: November 26, 1948, in Boston, at $89.75
Polaroid Land Camera facts you might not know
- Polaroid made only 60 of the first cameras, and 57 were put on sale at Jordan Marsh before Christmas 1948.
- Polaroid’s marketers thought the cameras would stay in stock long enough to plan a second run. They sold out much faster.
Frequently asked questions
How much did the first Polaroid camera cost?
The Polaroid Land Camera Model 95 cost $89.75 when it went on sale in Boston on November 26, 1948.
How much is $89.75 from 1948 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, the Model 95’s $89.75 price is about $1,250 in September 2026 money.
Who invented the Polaroid camera?
Edwin Land, co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
How long did a Polaroid photo take to develop in 1948?
About one minute.
Want to compare the Polaroid Land Camera price with other launch prices? See what the Chevrolet Corvair cost, browse more famous launch prices, or play this question in Price Time Machine.
Sources
Launch prices and dates are checked against the sources below. Today’s price is calculated from official US inflation data and updates automatically when new figures are published.
- Company archive: Polaroid Corporation records exhibit, Baker Library, Harvard Business School
- Wikipedia: Polaroid Corporation
- Wikipedia: Edwin H. Land
- History.com: First Polaroid camera sold
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
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