Dedem Automatica (now Dedem S.p.A.), an Ariccia-based firm, built the first passport photo booth at the Galleria Colonna in Rome in 1962. The well-known vertical strip of four black-and-white pictures was produced in three minutes for 100 lire. As a result, the famous progenitor of the selfie became a symbol of the 1960s and 1970s young generation. A never-ending tale, much like the people shown on the photo booth's roll of film. The introduction of color in the 1980s alters our perception of the world, as does the technology used to imprint it on paper. Even the digital revolution of the '90s couldn't derail the Roman firm's plans for the future. They invested in cutting-edge technology and machinery, and they began working with the government by developing identification picture software for passport photo booths in accordance with EU rules. The passport images spread like wildfire, and booths can be found all across Italy; millions of faces photographed in sixty years of activity, millions of individuals, lives, and stories. With over 9,000 cabins now sold throughout Italy and Europe, Dedem has chosen to highlight Italian craftsmanship even more. On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the installation of the first passport picture booth, the Roman firm has begun a partnership with another company, Pininfarina, the vanguard of Italian design. This encounter will result in the creation of a new passport photo booth built by the Turin-based business to highlight the beauty of this truly Italian narrative.
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