According to the Washington Post, Polaroid is closing its factories in Massachusetts, Mexico and the Netherlands, shutting down production of the instant photo film that made them a cultural phenomenon in the 1970s and 80s. This is sad news for anyone who has felt the excitement of taking instant photos of random objects and tagging them with a sharpie immediately after.

In addition to the obvious loss felt by drunk party revellers who will no longer be able to instantly document their antics, a lesser known consequence of the death of the instant film is the demise of the long held tradition of using Polaroids to document set decorations, makeup and costumes in film and TV productions.

“We’re trying to reinvent Polaroid so it lives on for the next 30 to 40 years,” explains Tom Beaudoin, Polaroid’s president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

According to the Washington Post, Polaroid has spent the last two years winding down the manufacture of instant cameras, which are still being sold both in stores and through Polaroid’s own website.

It’s pretty obvious that the digital camera and the MySpace pose are the direct causes of Polaroid’s extinction, but I’m still sad to see it go, not to mention annoyed with the fact that I now have four different types of Polaroid cameras that I’ll never be able to use again. Hello eBay!