A LIFE Polaroid ad in 1959
Toronto. In 1959, this ad in LIFE magazine suggested you too could take professional photos if you only doled out $72.75 in USD for a Polaroid camera! For example the ad shows a portrait study of two famous actors of the time, Jessica Tandy and husband Hume Cronyn. Tandy was born in London, UK and her husband in London, Ontario. They met in the states where they married and remained (Connecticut).
Conveniently overlooked was the art of finding such actors, choosing the correct lighting, clothing, framing, etc. – all the things that mark a professional. Polaroids could and did take remarkable photographs, but only if you were professionally trained with the knowledge and connections to create unique and exciting photographs…
With ads like this, it was no wonder aspiring amateurs shot a roll or two, then abandoned their Polaroid camera for a pricier 35mm camera with much less expensive materials (film, prints). The money saved on materials could go towards good photography books and classes to learn how to set up and take professional photographs! Remember, this was the era of fast growing interest in photography and the mushrooming of excellent books and post secondary school programs to teach the art to willing enthusiasts.
