On a more positive note, we turn to the MIT Museum, who have just sent out notice that they’ve received a large collection of archival Polaroid material from the former company’s new owner, PLR IP Holdings (the ones that brought Lady Gaga on as Creative Director). Edwin Land, who launched what would become the instant photo company in the late 1930s, had been connected to MIT in the early days of its founding, not only living in Cambridge, but also serving as a visiting scholar, so it makes sense that these collection of materials should go to the university’s museum. Following some auctions of the Polaroid archives earlier this year, we’re glad to see that the remainder of the collection is finding a good home outside of personal vaults. Here’s a bit about what’s in the collection and what they have planned for it:

The archive of Polaroid history and artifacts contains some of the most fascinating inventions and innovations from the 20th century. Rare Polarized glasses dating from the 1939 World’s Fair, original newsprint sketches by Polaroid founder Edwin H. Land, a historic bellows camera the size of a filing cabinet, as well as examples of Land-designed camera prototypes, and SX-70 cameras that defined the instant photography era, are just some of the original items that the MIT Museum acquired. In June, the museum plans to display a few artifacts from this new acquisition.