In 1925, 100 years ago, Anatol Josepho invented the first fully automated, coin-operated photobooth which he named the Photomaton.

Stationed on Broadway near Times Square in New York City, over 250,000 Americans used the photobooth in its first year, paying 25 cents and waiting patiently for eight minutes while their photo strips developed. A game-changer for the world of photography, the photobooth would become ubiquitous in cities around the world.

In the 1950s and 1960s, photobooths became a common feature at fairs, shopping centres and train stations and were loved by everyone from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to John and Jaqueline Kennedy and even employed by artist Andy Warhol for his now famous series of self-portraits.

Fast forward to 2025 and AUTOFOTO is marking the booth’s 100 year anniversary with a series of globally connected events, profiles and celebrations including major exhibitions and interventions across London, New York and Arles, projects with community groups, artists and designers, plus special events centered around their London and Barcelona based booths and in partnership with colleagues across the Globe.

- Official website: https://autofoto.org/

- The Real Selfie Project: https://www.instagram.com/therealselfieproject/

Rafael Hortala Vallve is the founder of AUTOFOTO, an analogue photobooth company based in London and Barcelona. AUTOFOTO have been rescuing and restoring original auto-photography machines for over a decade. Their restored machines can be found in locations across their two city bases. Their passion for analogue image making has led to a whole host of collaborations, workshops and events which bring a deeper enjoyment and understanding of analogue creative process. 

Michael Dooney

This episode of Subtext & Discourse Art World Podcast was recorded on 21. February 2025 between Perth (AU) and London (UK).