Buoyed by a retro revival, Kodak's dark past is coming to light

Kodak is having a fashion moment.

A few weeks ago, a keychain-sized camera-slash-accessory based on a model from 1987 sold out in a day . In some markets, the company’s compact digital cameras have outsold those from Canon or Sony . Things are going so well, Kodak has even developed a popular streetwear brand with a storefront in Seoul, luring young people with bright colors and a fun, retro vibe. Not bad for a 133-year-old company that declared bankruptcy in 2012 and in August refuted reports that it may have to shut down again .

Inventor and entrepreneur George Eastman founded the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, in 1888. Over the next century, the word Kodak — which George Eastman made up — essentially became synonymous with the act of taking pictures. It democr