U.S. Patent No. 388,850 is granted to George Eastman for the Kodak camera. He also registered the trademark "Kodak". The patent marked a significant moment in photography by introducing a small, handheld, and easy-to-use box camera loaded with roll film.
This innovation made photography accessible to the general public, allowing them to "press the button, we do the rest" by sending the completed camera back to the factory for film development, prints, and a reload. More
Source: Smithsonian - National Museum of American History.