The origins of the photo booth.

1. The Pre-History (1888 – 1890s)

Before the fully automated booth, there were "automatic" cameras. In 1888, William Pope and Edward Poole patented an automated photography machine, but it was unreliable. Shortly after, in 1889, French inventor Théophile Enjalbert showcased a coin-operated machine at the World’s Fair in Paris, though the photos were printed on tin and often of poor quality.

2. The Breakthrough: The "Photomaton" (1925)

The modern photo booth was truly born in 1925 on Broadway, New York. Anatol Josepho, a Russian immigrant, created the Photomaton. (as featured in the accompanying picture).

• The Cost: 25 cents.

• The Result: 8 photos in 10 minutes.

• The Impact: It was an overnight sensation. In its first year, 280,000 people used the Broadway booth. It was so successful that Josepho was paid $1 million (nearly $18 million today) for the rights to the machine—half of which he famously gave to charity

A most Successful Creation

3. The Golden Age of the Curtain (1930s – 1960s)

Between the 1930s and 1960s, photo booths experienced rapid mechanical refinements that solidified their place in everyday commercial life. The introduction of standardized, coin-operated electro-mechanical systems allowed these kiosks to operate continuously without requiring an attendant. Improvements in direct-positive photographic paper and chemical developing tanks inside the machines drastically reduced processing times down to just a few minutes, turning a once-novelty attraction into an indispensable, automated service for rapid personal portraiture across bustling urban centers.

This mid-century expansion also introduced a distinct aesthetic and architectural presence to public spaces. Photobooth cabinets were custom-built with heavy steel, polished chrome, and distinctive vintage signage, transforming them into recognizable fixtures on seaside piers, boardwalks, and busy city streets. Beyond their artistic and emotional appeal, these self-service booths democratized portrait photography for the general public, providing an affordable, accessible way for everyday working-class families to document anniversaries, friendships, and milestones long before personal home cameras became widespread.

During this era, photo booths became a staple of train stations, amusement parks, and Woolworths stores.

• Wartime Connection: During WWII, soldiers used booths to take quick portraits for their loved ones before shipping out.

• Pop Culture Icon: This was the era of the "curtain." The privacy it provided allowed for candidness. It caught the eye of surrealist artists like Salvador Dalí and André Breton, who saw it as a tool for capturing the "unconscious" self. Later, Andy Warhol famously used photo booth strips as the basis for his high-art silkscreens.

The Birth of The Modern Booth

4. The Digital Revolution (1990s – 2000s)

During the 1990s and 2000s, photo booths expanded far beyond traditional public spaces like train stations and post offices, carving out a permanent place in consumer culture. With the rise of entertainment venues, arcades, bowling alleys, and shopping malls, booths became a popular social destination for teenagers and young adults. The shift to digital media also enabled the integration of simple payment systems, coin-op multi-choice menus, and duplicate print options, allowing groups of friends to easily share memory strips from a single session.

At the same time, this era saw the very first steps toward home archival and early digital storage. While prints were still the primary output, some high-end booths late in the decade began experimenting with saving digital files to floppy disks or early CD formats, alongside the ability to choose from different layout templates or passport-style multi-poses. This transitional period effectively bridged the gap between strict, official portraiture and the rise of personal digital photography, turning photo-taking into a self-expressive, casual pastime long before smartphones existed.

As chemical developing (wet-process) became expensive and slow, the industry shifted.

• Computerisation: In the 1990s, booths moved from film and chemicals to digital sensors and thermal printers. This allowed for faster prints and, eventually, the introduction of color photos as a standard.

• Purikura Influence: In Japan during the mid-90s, "Purikura" (Print Club) booths became a massive craze. These introduced the idea of adding digital stickers, borders, and "beautifying" filters—essentially the ancestor of the modern Snapchat filter. The modern craze for fun, interactive party photo booths is widely attributed to the Japanese Purikura phenomenon that began in the mid-1990s. While traditional photo booths for ID photos had existed since the 1920s, Purikura reinvented them from utilitarian kiosks into a social, creative, and highly customisable "play" activity.

A Photo Booth for Every Occasion

5. The Modern Party Booth (2010 – Today)

In recent years, the photo booth has transitioned from a simple novelty printer into a highly versatile, technology-driven centerpiece for modern events. Today’s setups leverage high-speed digital processing, instant wireless connectivity, and flexible hardware design, allowing them to adapt to almost any venue. With features like open-air pods, instant AirDrop and email sharing, and dynamic capture modes like short video clips, GIFs, and Boomerangs, these systems prioritize user interaction and instant digital gratification alongside traditional physical prints.

Beyond simply capturing memories, modern photo booths now serve broader commercial and experiential purposes. In corporate and marketing settings, they act as powerful brand-activation tools, collecting valuable user data, generating direct lead capture, and embedding custom branded overlays onto content shared instantly to social media. For private events, they serve as interactive entertainment stations and digital guestbooks, shifting the photo booth’s role from a static photo maker into an active engine for engagement, guest immersion, and instant online reach.

In the last decade, the photo booth evolved from a vending machine found in malls to a "must-have" event entertainment service.

• On-Site Customisation: Modern party booths are designed to be portable. They can be "flat-packed" or wheeled into a venue and set up in under 90 minutes.

• Social Integration: Current booths don’t just print; they allow guests to email or AirDrop GIFs, Boomerangs, and videos directly to their phones for social media.

• Open-Air vs. Enclosed: While the "Classic Enclosed" booth (like the ones used by Warhol) is making a nostalgic comeback for its privacy, "Open-Air" pods are also popular for fitting large groups of 10+ people into a single shot.