Hannibal Goodwin
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The Reverend Hannibal Goodwin (1822-1900), an Episcopal priest at the House of Prayer in Newark, New Jersey patented a method for making transparent, flexible roll film out of nitrocellulose film base. He was motivated to search for a non-breakable, and clear substance on which he could place the images he utilized in his Biblical teachings. George Eastman was no doubt a member of the audience during this time. In 1887, the year Reverend Goodwin retired from the church he had served for twenty years, he filed a patent for "a photographic pellicle and process of producing same . . . . especially in connection with roller cameras", but the patent was not granted until 13 September 1898.
In the meantime, George Eastman had already started production of roll-film using his own process. In 1900, Goodwin set up the Goodwin Film & Camera Co. but before film production had started he was involved in a street accident near a construction site and died from his injuries.
His patent was sold to Ansco who successfully sued Eastman Kodak for infringement of the patent and were awarded $5,000,000.
