Edwin H. Land

AKA:

Dr. Land

Birth Name:

Edwin Herbert Land

Birth Date:

May 7, 1909

Birth Place:

Bridgeport, Connecticut

Death Date:

March 1, 1991

Place of Death:

Prospect Hill, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Age:

Cause of Death:

Undisclosed

Cemetery Name:

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Science

Edwin H. Land was an American scientist and inventor, best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation and the inventor of instant photography. “Dr. Land,’’ as most people referred to him, left Harvard College before graduation to start inventing in a Cambridge garage. In 40 years, Land built up a company that did about $1.4 billion of business all over the world in 1979 with over 20,000 employees. He stuck to his guns, never diversified into other businesses, never sold out to another company, and never borrowed money on a long-term basis. Land was awarded more than 500 patents, and other Polaroid researchers hundreds more. The Polaroid company was a juggernaut of innovation. In modern terms, Polaroid was the Apple of its time with a brilliant leader in Edwin Land, a scientist who guided the company as the CEO for several decades. But the company suffered a long decline starting in the ’80s leading to bankruptcy in the 2000s.

Fun Fact

When Edwin died on March 1, 1991 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, upon his specific instructions his trusted personal assistant destroyed all his personal papers and his notes. Oddly enough shortly after his death his historic Cambridge mansion burned to the ground.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Mount Auburn Cemetery

580 Mount Auburn Street

Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts

Grave Location:

Aronia Path, Lot 10123, Space 1

Grave Location Description

The the intersection of Pond Road, Bradlee Road, Willow Pond Path and Aronia Path take a short walk up Aronia Path just past the Butternut Path and look to your right and you will see the final resting place of the brilliant Dr. Land and his wife about 50 feet from the path.