I only fully understood the potential of Polaroids at a party this year.
A Party-Thrower had just moved in to a new abode and was happy-snapping photos of his guests and sticking them on the wall. I say 'happy snapping' but at over a pound a pop, they weren't really cheap. They looked awesome at the end though, although I stole mine and took it home because I am a sentimental girl.
Polaroid chucked this party-useful invention in 2008 and recently in some new and slightly trendy move, the Oxford Circus Urban Outfitters top floor has been decked out with display cases of old cameras, Polaroids and a large array of books.
Like Topshop's Newton Machine last year, which saw a great amount of self-styled posing and self-shot photos with some excellent results, Outfitters has leapt in to the realms of vintage cameras in store, albeit less interactively. It might seem as though the shop's simply lined up old cameras in a bid to be hip and vintage - and you're probably right - but more officially Urban outfitters has launched a campaign to raise awareness of Polaroid's history.
The walls were decked out in cameras but there were limited descriptions as to why, save some hand-drawn proclamations on a wall. However, skepticism aside I loved seeing the displays of polaroid camera history in small glass boxes across the wall. It gave me a chance to perve over a swanky leather flat-pack Polaroid camera that I've impractically fancied for a few years in the flesh and the garish but suspiciously cool black plastic 1980s camera.
Inside the boxes were photos of people using the cameras, and they all looked so jolly, checkered shirted and full of happy grins. it was all very hip and I loved it, although the main selling focus seemed to be on books on a shelf in the corner which was a shame.
Apparently the shop's selling 700 'deadstock' Polaroid camera kits, and the make it even more special they've got numbers on them. It's all in aid of promoting The Impossible Project which aims "to re-invent and re-start production of analog Integral film for vintage Polaroid cameras."
Think Justin Lee Curtis running around with a crew harassing old Paraloid cameras out of their retirement homes and giving them a make-over. (Sorry if that's too British a reference; he makes TV from reuniting old famous types, think the A-Team, the Goonies, etc).
Now the bid's on the get Polaroid going again. Basically The Impossible Project has taken over the old Polaroid factory for the next ten years and acquired a team of experts. Experts with big ideas: to develop the Polaroid film and give it new 'characteristics'. Or this is the idea - I'd like to see how they're going to do this. I became a bit less interested when I was told off for taking photos - not what Mr Land inventor of the Polaroid would have wanted I feel.
Essentially it comes across as a bit of campaign to sell a book, but it's genuinely worth a browse whilst amongst the sale items and it'd be great to see more shops get involved and more interactive with interesting forms of photography in the future.