On June 11th, 1997, Philippe Kahn created the first camera phone solution to share pictures instantly on public networks. The impetus for this invention was the birth of Kahn’s daughter, when he jerry-rigged a mobile phone with a digital camera and sent photos in real time. In 2016 Time Magazine included Kahn’s first camera phone photo in their list of the 100 most influential photos of all time.
The Camera-Phone was born in Santa Cruz on June 11, 1997 at the Sutter Maternity Clinic.
Inventor Philippe Kahn was there with his wife, Sonia Lee. Philippe had been working on the technology components for an “instant visual communicator.” After Sonia went into labor, Philippe completed the invention. He wired together his digital camera, his cellphone, and a laptop and ran the software he had developed. The server infrastructure allowed him to instantly share Sophie’s birth picture with friends and family around the world. The architecture and design became the blueprint for today’s social media.
The original picture is 240 by 320 pixels. It is available in three versions: Original, medium pixelated, large pixelated
Additional Reading
A baby girl and the camera phone were born 20 years ago
Larry Magid, June 12, 2017
Philippe Kahn named by tech journalist Mossberg in list of top 5 all time most influential technologists
Walter Mossberg, August 11, 2017
Happy Birthday Camera Phone! Your Papa Is Very Proud of You
Tekla S. Perry, June 12, 2017
Santa Cruz’s Philippe Kahn makes Time’s 100 most influential photos of all time
Associated Press, November 17, 2016
Evolution of the Camera Phone
Stuff.tv, June 20, 2016
Mach was aus dir!
BLICKPUNKTE Matthias Hohensee, September 8, 2015
Inventor Philippe Kahn on Audacity, Talent, and Luck
Inc., Lewis Schiff, April 27, 2013
Cell Phone, The Ring Heard Around The World
CBC, April 4, 2008
Emailing the Father of the Camera Phone as He Sails Across the Great Blue Pacific
Brian Lam, Gizmodo, July 19 2007
Baby’s arrival inspires birth of cellphone camera — and societal evolution
USA Today, January 23 2007
The Camera Phone
Slate, January 17 2007
Small Camera, Big Vision
Fortune.com,
The Big Picture
Wired, October 1, 2000