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I am so thankful for the development of photography as an affordable medium for capturing memories. I’ve often said that I’d eat rice and beans in order to afford a new camera if mine ever broke, because it’s really that important to me.

Just for fun, I put together this gallery with some of the milestones in camera development since the early 1900s. It’s incredible to see how far technology has come, but I’m pretty impressed by what was available more than 100 years ago as well!

1. Eastman Kodak Brownie, 1900 | Kodak’s popular Brownie model makes photography affordable for amateurs and hobbyists

2. UR Leica, 1914 | the most popular early 35mm camera

3. Argus C3, 1939 | this popular 35mm camera sold between the late 1930s and mid-1960s with few design changes

4. World’s First Button Camera, 1950s | covert spy cameras have come a long way since this first model from the 1950s

5. Canon F-1 Series, 1970s | the flagship F-1 series SLR cameras were created for professional photographers with a suite of more than 180 lenses and accessories

6. Polaroid Instant Film, 1972 | Polaroid introduced the first integral film for their instant cameras, which developed and prepared the photo without any extra work by the photographer

7. Disposable Cameras, 1990s | disposable cameras gained popularity in the 1990s, earning a place of honor at weddings to allow guests to take photos throughout the reception

8. Sony Cybershot DSCU10, 2002 | the turn of the century brought with it the growing trend of small, pocket-sized digital cameras

9. Canon EOS Rebel T1i, 2009 | DSLR cameras continue to gain popularity among entry-level and professional photographers alike, changing the face of photography as we know it

Do you remember your first camera? What kind of camera do you use today?