The Kodak Brownie is a camera with many faces. Learn more about the Brownie and its history in this short video! Featuring Brownie cameras from 1901 to the 1960s (Bernie Goleski Camera Collection). oshawamuseum.org
The first Brownie was introduced in 1900. I had two Brownie Crestas when I was a kid. I broke the first one falling out of a tree while spying on my older brother with his girlfriend. Wonderful, nostalgic video. Thanks so much.
The No.1 Brownie of 1900 0:45 was a game changer. That price - the equivalent of $31.00 in 2021 - made it possible for anyone to take photos - which was George Eastman's dream. Until then, photography was still an activity for professional photographers and the well-to-do. A No.1 Brownie was given to a youngster named Ansel Adams. The camera isn't much larger than the boxes tea bags of sticks of butter come in. Still, photographic historians sometimes call it the most important camera ever manufactured. As a side note, I am the proud owner of one. ☺
The first Brownie was released in 1900 with no viewfinder or viewing holes and the last Brownie (II) was released in 1986 and was manufactured in Brazil. It was a plastic 110 film camera with a red folding protective cover.
the from of the model D faceplate is upsidedown, I will not work properly and you will not be able to use the viewfinders. However great video, really useful for identifying my brownie model 2 D
Very nice video! I've got a little museum of cameras in a part of my music room. Since I grew up in the 50s & 60s, cameras were quite the popular technology gadget to have at that time. A few of my units are older then I thought. That's cool to know, thanks to your video. I appreciate you putting it out for us -- Atco
Make sure when buying adapters for the ends of the 120 film reels that you buy strong ones- like literally ones with “strong” in their description- the reason being that you (like me) will get halfway through shooting your roll of film, having a great time, pleased with the subjects you chose to shoot- and the film will stop reeling with the winding reel. What’s happening is the resistance is building on the reels and suddenly the cheap, soft, wax-like plastic on those adapters gives way and won’t reel any further. Now you’re in a position where if you have a darkroom, I guess you can salvage your roll of film, but if not, you’ve gotta pull open the camera (ruining your film) and start over. The cameras are inexpensive and available, cleaning and fixing them isn’t too hard, but there’s a bunch of grifters out there (because of course) who want to try and cash in on your interest in trying out an antique camera, while selling you garbage. Be careful buying those adapters- it’ll save you film and money.
I had a Kodak camera in the 1960s that used flash cubes. As a joke, one year, I saved my use flush cubes and hang them on the Christmas tree as ornaments. They actually looked pretty good. I wish I had saved one of them as a souvenir.
I have a no.2 Brownie, and it still works, but as has been observed, the one in this film around the two minute mark has the faceplate on the wrong way - the viewfinder holes on the front do not line up with the top and side viewers!
Don Little You can get film at B&H Photo online! If your camera takes 620 film, you can either buy the more expensive re-rolled 620 film from B&H (because no one makes 620 anymore, some people roll 120 film onto the 620 spools and sell the rolls online), or you can buy 120 film and save money by rolling it onto your 620 spools in darkness yourself. And if you’re looking for a place to get the film developed, I’ve been using TheDarkroom.com and have been very happy with their work.
I have several brownies including a Target 620,Hawkeye flash,and my favorite Folding Pocket No.2 Model B.I just finished a roll in it and waiting for it to come back.Hopefully sometime I can get set up to do my own processing.
Hey! i'm working with one brownie camera and i wanted to know the exact model, cause it doesnt have any description outside, Do you know who should i send a photo so they can tell me? or can you? thanks!
Interesting to note that for decades Eastman Kodak maintained 2 "lines" all of the "box cameras" were "Brownies" while only "lower cost" folders were "brownies" the "better" folding cameras (and other glass plate/roll film etc) were just called "Kodak" These would include the famous Retina series, The ultra high end Ektra (the rare 1940s version) the less expensive Kodak 35,and Pony 35mm series. Before the 8mm Brownie movie cameras, Kodak had a line of what might be today called "prosumer" 8mm and 16mm movie cameras under the brand "Cine-Kodak". The older 8mm Brownie movie cameras are similar to the later 8mm "Cine-Kodak"s The 1963 Instamatic was the natural follow up for the Brownie line as it (originally) was for the "non photographer" to be able to make decent snapshots easily. (it did as 126 wasn''t a bad format!) It Should have carried the "Brownie" name as the first models were box cameras at heart, I guess Eastman Kodak decided that it sounded old fashioned by the 60s. Of course 126 format led to the 1972 "Pocket Instamatic" (110 format) - Oddly enough THAT tiny format was taken seriously by some photographers- Minolta and Pentax actually made SLR cameras in 110 Instamatic format!
Nice history about the Kodak Brownies. I don't have any of the Brownies, but I have my Super Showtime 8 projector. When Kodak continued to make Brownies in the 1960's, the Instamatic series was born when it was introduced in 1963, and that killed the Brownies and the Instamatics became more popular than Brownies. It was the light weight camera that came with 35mm film where it can easily to load and take shots. After that, Kodak introduced the Instamatic movie projectors in 1965 when Super 8 was introduced competing with its rival, regular 8mm, the Super 8 became Kodak's hot item. When Kodak Instamatic continued into the 70's and 80's, it was a big name, but Kodak stopped making the Instamatic cameras by 1988 after a lawsuit from Polaroid back 2 years before.
MTN Productions The Instamatic was NOT the subject of the Polaroid suit. Kodak (and others, like Keystone and even Pentax!) Instamatic format cameras are normal and used ordinary print, negative or reversal roll film, (nothing at all what Polaroid was doing then) The "Insta" part was implied because the film was in cartridges (126 and 110 formats, not 35mm) that had both supply and take up spools built in, and thus were "instant" loading, The film still was processed in the usual way. The Kodak Instant camera (a.k.a.Colorburst) that used self developed prints, is the format that caused trouble with Polaroid, as the Kodak Instant film (NOT Instamatic film...) infringed on Poloroid's patent for the SX-70 instant film system. Neither the SX-70 or Colorburst used roll film. - Sorry for being long winded - 45 year collector of both Kodak and Polaroid cameras!👍
It appears to be the British head office; it was 41-43, but the street numbers were later changed to 57-61, which is the street number in the picture on this website: www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol46/pp385-406
I have a Brownie Six-20 and you can choose between two apertures and you can also choose between a preset exposure or manual. Mine came with a roll of filme I'm yet to have it developed. A time capsule?
Don't forget that inflation. At the turn of the century a daily wage might be $1 or $2---- a day. So the camera has a price of about what you make in a day. sort of like now for a fair camera -- $70- $100.
Yung Carlos The more elaborate Eastman Kodak cameras weren't "Brownie"s just "Kodak"s the Brownie name was used on the lower price models. Kodak actually made 2 different TLR (or at least TLR type) cameras. The Kodak Reflex was a traditional TLR (focus, aperture and shutter adjustable) and the more common DuaFlex models that actually are really "box cameras" (non adjustable) with a large reflex veiwfinder that LOOKED for all the world LIKE a TLR! (a big status symbol in the 50's!). IIRC none of these were marked or marketed as "Brownies", Just "Kodak", reflecting their "more serious" nature.
724bigal Early production, almost certainly before 1915. BTW the #2 Brownie holds the distinction of not only using 120 film, but it INTRODUCED it. Professional photographers who still use film in megabuck Hasselblads owe it all to the Brownie #2! That also means It's the oldest camera one can still get factory production film for. If your city/town has a decent camera shop (luckily Pittsburgh still does!) you can get 120 film tommorow! I shoot a few rolls of it a month! 👍👍👍
The introduction to the box brownie is plain WRONG. The first camera illustrated, now called the Brownie No.1, was NOT pre loaded with 100 exposure film but used a conventional 117 daylight loaded roll film with backing paper and numbers showing thru a red window at the back, as did all Brownies for many years after. The camera illustrated is correct, but the narration is not, seemingly confusing it with much earlier Kodak cameras, which were not called by the Brownie name. The film used (later numbered 117,), and the camera, produced square photos, 6 exposures per roll of film, 6x6cms or 2&¼ " square, setting a format still in use today March 2023. The Brownie No.2 camera with a 6x9 cms. format introduced 120 film, also still in use as at 2023.
They are amazingly robust, I have four of them, all more than 100 years old, still usable today if I fit a (620) roll of film which is near enough in size to the correct, discontinued, 117 film to perform satisfactorily. But you do need an empty 117 reel for the take-up side, because the wind key only fits the slot in a 117 reel. 117 film, 120 film, and 620 film are all near identical in size, only the reels (spools) differ slightly.
Notice those people in 1940 or so were -----not huge. They were not screeners and moved - and no fast food. America is now 80% fat - at early ages. Put down that I-phone and do something.!!!