So when were the first photo booths?

Well, I think before we discuss the first photo booth, it's probably worth just stepping back a little bit in time to talk about their origins, which lie in the automatic photography machines.

So these machines kind of emerge in the 1880s.

They are a vending machine.

At this time, vending machine culture is really starting to take off.

You start seeing the first vending machines arriving in cities, and these distribute things like gum or matches, cigarettes, even drinks.

But they start thinking about the potential for these machines to distribute photographs.

If you're having your photo taken in front of a tower, you're kind of on show for everyone else to look at.