Hannibal Goodwin

Biography Goodwin was born on April 30, 1822, in Ulysses, New York, and was raised on a farm. He began taking college classes at Yale Law School in 1844, then Wesleyan University, and finally earned his degree in 1848 at Union College. Goodwin began studying at Union Theological Seminary in New York City to become an Episcopal preacher. He set up a chemistry lab in the attic of the Plum house rectory and sawed a five foot hole in the roof for better sunlight. In the meantime, George Eastman had already started production of roll-film using his own process.

In 1900, Goodwin set up the Goodwin Film and Camera Company, but before film production had started he was involved in a street accident near a construction site and died from complications of a broken leg and pneumonia on December 31, 1900.

Legacy Goodwin's patent was sold to Ansco who successfully sued Eastman Kodak for infringement of the patent and was awarded $5 million (over $120 million in 2020) on March 10, 1914.

The Newark International Film Festival named one of their main awards the Hannibal Goodwin Award for Innovation in Filmmaking.