June 29, 2021 – National Camera Day | National Waffle Iron Day

The Very First Photograph Was Anything But Instant! Welcome to June 29th, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate capturing the moment and one giant leap for sneakers.  In 1838, Louis Daguerre set up his camera near the Boulevard du Temple in Paris. Then he took a picture. Today we are used to the almost instantaneous photo process. Touch the button on your phone or camera and the picture is taken. But for Daguerre, the exposure time was nearly 10 minutes. This meant that nothing in frame would appear in the photo if it weren’t standing perfectly still. For this reason, the busy Paris streets look abandoned in this photo. Except for one solitary figure in the lower left-hand corner: a man getting his boots shined. And this is the very first image of a human being caught on camera. On National Camera Day, get out your phones and start clicking away.  And be thankful that technology has slowed things to the speed of the present.  The waffle iron got its start in the Low Countries of the 14th century.  These early metal plates heated over an open flame pressed images such as a coat of arms into batter.  And the waffle pattern still inspires us today!  Something about all those extra nooks and crannies soaking up melted butter, syrup and jam can turn ordinary pancake batter into a special occasion.  And for Nike Co-Founder Bill Bowerman, his wife’s waffle iron inspired a shoe.  Bill used the pattern to design a running shoe that would grip the road while remaining lightweight.  The “Moon Shoe” and “Waffle Trainer” set Nike apart in the 1970s and they’ve been out in the lead ever since.  On National Waffle Iron Day, cook up your own inspiration.  Jogging afterwards is optional.   I’m Anna Devere and I’m Brian Reinbold.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.