{"id":703203,"date":"2026-06-14T08:14:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T08:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/703203\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T08:14:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T08:14:12","slug":"this-fridge-sized-polaroid-camera-used-by-andy-warhol-ansel-adams-and-sally-mann-has-been-restored-and-is-touring-the-world-with-modern-artists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/703203\/","title":{"rendered":"This fridge-sized Polaroid camera \u2013 used by Andy Warhol, Ansel Adams and Sally Mann \u2013 has been restored and is touring the world with modern artists"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1976, Polaroid<\/a> built a massive instant camera<\/a> that stood 6.5 feet \/ 2 meters tall and weighed 235 pounds \/ 107 kg \u2013 roughly the size of an average refrigerator. That camera would go on to be used by names like Ansel Adams, Sally Mann and Andy Warhol.<\/p>\n

Now, fifty years later, the camera is once again being used by modern artists.<\/p>\n

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The oversized bellows camera uses specially made 20×24 Polaroid film. Polaroid originally built five of the cameras<\/a>, designed to be an eye-catching piece at shows and events. But when it found new ownership through the Impossible Project<\/a>, one of the massive cameras was discovered collecting dust in a storage room.<\/p>\n

Meet the World\u2019s Largest Instant Camera | Polaroid 20×24 – YouTube
\n\"Meet<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

Polaroid decided to not only refurbish the oversized camera, but also make the large 20×24 sheet film for it. Now the Polaroid Foundation<\/a> is taking the camera on tour, giving artists around the world the opportunity to use the rare camera while filming an ongoing documentary called the 20×24 Project.<\/p>\n

The camera follows the classic design of a field camera with folding bellows \u2013 but it sits on a wheeled base and, unlike field cameras, was only ever meant to be used in a studio.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

The film creates a 20×24 image. Like smaller Polaroid cameras<\/a>, the its rollers rupture a chemical pod to develop the film without a dark room. But unlike the more classic instant film, these 20×24 images are cut from rolls after the image is exposed.<\/p>\n

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\"John
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John Reuter is seen here with the 20×24 Polaroid camera in 1985 (Image credit: Victor Colin Sumner\/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The 20×24 Project, with the support of Polaroid, is now taking the restored camera around the world. John Reuter, a former Polaroid employee, is accompanying it with prot\u00e9g\u00e9e Harriet Browse. Traveling with the camera is no easy feat, however, as it\u2019s too large to even fit on an airplane.<\/p>\n

The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

The organization has been taking the camera across the globe to be used by artists, including visiting the oldest art exhibition in the world \u2013 the Venice Biennale.<\/p>\n

The organization\u2019s modern goal in 2026 echoes the camera\u2019s past. While originally built as a showpiece, the camera went on to be part of the Polaroid Artist Support Program<\/a>. The program provided Polaroid cameras and film to both emerging and established artists.<\/p>\n

World\u2019s Biggest Instant Camera Meets Nine Major Artists | Polaroid 20×24 – YouTube
\n\"World\u2019s<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

The program was established in 1949 and, while modern camera brands now offer ambassador programs, the concept at the time was unique. The photos that the artists created using the free film and cameras would go on to be part of what later became called The Polaroid Collection.<\/p>\n

According to the 20×24 Project, that history means the newly restored camera now on tour with modern artists was once used by artists like Robert Maplethorpe, Mary Ellen Mark, William Wegman, Chuck Close, Richard Prince, Peter Beard, Jullian Schnobble, Barbara Kassen, Lucas Mars, Helen Chap, Carrie Williams, Luigi Gary and others.<\/p>\n

The Guinness Book of World Records notes<\/a> that the 20×24 Polaroid, first built in 1976, still holds the world record for the world\u2019s largest Polaroid camera. Film fans and camera nerds can watch the oversized camera\u2019s travel adventures on the 20×24 Project\u2019s YouTube Channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Polaroid recently made its smallest instant film camera yet<\/a>! Or, read about the best instant film cameras<\/a>, as tested by our in-house instant film experts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 1976, Polaroid built a massive instant camera that stood 6.5 feet \/ 2 meters tall and weighed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":703204,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[228,226,227,229,88],"class_list":["post-703203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/703203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=703203"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/703203\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/703204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=703203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=703203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=703203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}