What did Hannibal Goodwin contribute in 1889?

• A. Improved Eastman's roll film by using thin strips of celluloid
• B. Invented the electric light bulb
• C. Developed the MPPC
• D. Created the color film

Answer: (A)

This question tests knowledge of who helped bring flexible film to photography. In 1889 Hannibal Goodwin patented a method for making photographic film from nitrocellulose (celluloid) that could be produced as thin strips and wound into a roll. This made it possible to replace heavy glass plates with a roll of film that could be advanced frame by frame in a camera, a leap that paved the way for mass-market photography. Eastman later popularized and commercialized roll film, and Goodwin’s approach used thin strips of celluloid to create that film, which is why this contribution is the best answer. The other options point to inventions outside his work: the electric light bulb belongs to a different inventor, MPPC is a later photodetector technology, and color film development came from different developments and timelines.