Kodak Box Brownie

Kodak No. 2 Cartridge Hawk-Eye Model B Box Camera

I visited St James Christmas Fair and whilst looking through the bric-a-brac found a Kodak Box Brownie Camera I negotiated its purchase for the sum of £1

The camera is a Kodak No. 2 Cartridge Hawk-Eye Model B box camera, constructed of card, wood, metal, leather and glass; made in England between 1927 and 1930.

Embossed name on carrying handle reads, "No. 2 CARTRIDGE HAWK-EYE MODEL B"

Embossed markings on rear leatherette read, "MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN by KODAK Limited

Use "KODAK" Film No. 120"

It has a single-speed rotary shutter, fixed focus, and two waist-level viewfinders with tiny ground glass screens for portrait or landscape shots. The pull-up tab located at the top centre of the front portion interrupts the rotation of the shutter, allowing timed exposures until the shutter release is operated a second time or the tab is pushed back down and takes 120 film.

Camera opened

The social impact of the Brownie camera cannot be overestimated the first Box Brownie model appeared in 1900.  It was part of the accelerating process of introducing new technologies into everyday use as consumer items. It allowed amateurs to record special or not so special events or even to attempt artistic expression. Cheap, easily portable cameras made the 20th century the first to leave a democratically comprehensive pictorial record, at least in the West. Photography is now a ubiquitous accompaniment to everyday life. The camera still impresses with its simple, economical, and elegant design

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