Edwin H. Land

Land founded Polaroid on his polarising filter and then led the research on instant photography himself after his daughter asked why she could not see a picture straight away. He worked on the chemistry and the cameras for decades, unveiling the folding SX-70 in 1972 as a personal project. His final big bet, the Polavision instant movie system, flopped against video, and he left the company soon after, a reminder that a founder's taste can outlast the market.