Kodak Cameras: Brownies, Bullet Boxes and Bull's-Eyes by Linda Rosenkrantz on Creators.com

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Kodak Cameras: Brownies, Bullet Boxes and Bull's-Eyes

If you think it was the digital camera revolution that turned virtually every American into a photographer, think again. This actually was accomplished back in 1888, with George Eastman's introduction of roll film in a simple box camera that any amateur could simply point and press a button.

This first model could be the keystone of any Kodak collection. Small (3 by 3 by 6 inches) and portable, the black box came loaded with a roll of stripping paper long enough for a hundred exposures (transparent film was introduced the following year). After the pictures were taken, the whole camera was sent back to the manufacturer in Rochester, N.Y., who, for a $10 fee, developed and processed the film and then sent the whole camera back reloaded. With it came your 2 ?-inch circular prints mounted on cardboard. Price for the camera: $25, including shoulder strap and case.

How to distinguish this unnumbered first model from the thousands of other black, pebble-textured Kodak cameras that followed? Identifying features include: a horizontal cylindrical shutter and a brass-tipped cord emerging from a hole in the top front (which was pulled to cock the shutter before a photograph could be taken).The No. 1 Kodak, marketed in 1889, a year after the roll film camera was introduced, came with a carrying case, a display mat for a picture and a memorandum notebook for recording the exposure dates, as well as an extra film carton. By 1891, the camera no longer had to be sent to Rochester and rolls of film could be bought anywhere.

Then, in 1900, came the iconic Brownie. At first designed to appeal primarily to children, it was named after children's book writer and illustrator Palmer Cox's imaginary little sprite characters called Brownies, who were almost as popular in their day as Mickey Mouse. Due to Eastman Kodak's strategy of high volume/low price (the original price was $1),150,000 Brownies were sold in the first year of production, and the era of the family snapshot was launched.

Over the 70 years of Brownie production — the final model was made in 1970 — about 125 models were introduced, including the Brownie Target, Beau Brownie, Boy Scout Brownie and Brownie Hawkeye.

Here are some of the most collectible:

The first Brownie, which was available in two versions: one with a back that just slid off, and a small detachable viewfinder; the other — more common — had a metal strip that slid off a pair of studs to loosen the back.

The Kodak Panoramic camera, made from 1901 to the 1920s, which used a swiveling lens to record an extremely wide view.

The Autographic series (1901 through the '20s), so called because they had a small window on the back and a stylus to engrave the date and place the photo was taken, and featured fine Bausch & Lomb lenses.

1920s variations on the conventional Vest Pocket cameras that came in bright colors with matching lipsticks to attract the female market.

The 1936 Kodak Bantam Special, a precision miniature camera in an elegant deco-style casing.

The folding Bull's-Eye, the somewhat rarer Bullet Boxes, the painted bare metal Hawkeye and the colored Rainbow models.

And if you've ever wondered where the name Kodak came from, Eastman has been quoted as saying, "The letter K had been a favorite with me — it seemed a strong, incisive sort of letter," and he was determined to find a brand name that both began and ended with it. From there, it was just a matter of playing with various middle-letter combinations until he hit on Kodak.

Linda Rosenkrantz has edited Auction magazine and authored 18 books, most recently "Beyond Ava & Aidan: The Enlightened Guide to Naming your Baby" (St. Martin's Press). Visit her baby names website at http://nameberry.com. She cannot answer letters personally. To find out more about Linda Rosenkrantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.