The Kodak Still Cameras



Greenbelt Families and Their Kodak Cameras(1937-1945)



The Cameras They Used and How They Used Them

      The Kodak still cameras were the truly the first photographical devices that ordinary families were able to use. They were user friendly cameras that were also inexpensive(of course this may differ considering the type of camera a family was to purchase). Some of the most popular Kodak cameras were the ones known as Baby Brownies.

Baby Brownies were small box-like cameras that were cheap and easy to use. This is an advertisement for the Baby Brownie cameras. As you can see, the advertisement is targeted towards children. Because of the inexpensive price and small nature of the camera, children were most likely to use them. In Greenbelt, Maryland this type of camera sold for 50 cents with a cereal box top. The cameras took half sized pictures and so there were two times as many pictures on a roll of film.(Neville, 1) This is what a typical Kodak Brownie picture would look like. As you can see, the picture is in black and white and is small in size. Today, it may look a bit primitive, but at that time it was a very big technological innovation.

      There were also larger Brownie designed cameras that were targeted toward older children. The Kodak Target Six-20 Mickey Mouse camera was sold around 1945(Baker, 6). Although the cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, was quite popular, this camera design was not. It was discontinued after one year(Baker, 6).

      Adults were more likely to use cameras known as miniatures. These cameras were usually more expensive then Brownies, but also took better pictures. The price of purchasing film and developing these pictures was not inexpensive for working families in Greenbelt; so these cameras were used only on certain occasions. Special occasions differed among families, but most included weddings, Easter celebrations, portraits of children, birthdays, and the list goes on and on. Also, because of the price of developing prints, most families were very careful about when and what type of picture to take. This is why most family pictures at that time were posed instead of spontaneous camera shots(Neville, 1). Moreover, many families could only use their camera outdoors. Ann Neville, a former resident of Greenbelt, Maryland, explains that this was because no one had a "...flash attachment"(Neville, 1).

      The adults' cameras(the miniatures) usually had an accordion-like design in the front. This particular design was targeted towards women. These two cameras were two of only a few designs that had this sort of pastel color to them. Despite its obvious targeted audience, the basic design of these two cameras is the same for most miniatures that were owned by Greenbelt families.



Socio-Economic Implications

      The Kodak cameras not only allowed all families to enjoy photography, but it also started a very interesting and negative new phenomenon- labeling people's economic class just by the camera they used. The Eastman Kodak Company made a long line of cameras, with a more contemporary design as the price increased.

The Kodak Bantam camera is a perfect example. Its design is almost similar to some cameras today. It was made from 1936 to 1938 and was a costly $87.50. Families in Greenbelt, which was a low-income housing development, could not afford the Bantam Camera.

      One could see the Bantam and other cameras in its class at various camera clubs that were popping up all over the country. These camera clubs often had members that were touted as "Camera Snobs,"(Doty, 493) by those who could not afford the higher price Kodaks. "Camera Snobs," often looked down upon those who owned only Brownies or inexpensive miniatures. Jokes were made that Brownie camera lenses were made out of "...old beer bottles"(Doty, 493). Those that tried to join camera clubs(the ones that were not affiliated with the Kodak Company- like in the Brownie advertisement) were snubbed and turned down. While the Greenbelt community may have had their own camera club, it is probably unlikely that any Greenbelt family could join an outside camera club sense they could not afford more expensive cameras.

      This is probably one of the most disparaging aspects of the Kodak camera in this time period. Who would have guessed that a line of cameras would actually lead to socio-economic classification? It is definitely not what George Eastman wanted his cameras to contribute to.



      Despite some of the more negative drawbacks, the Kodak still cameras are among the most innovative technologies this century. Along with other inventions like the phonograph and telephone , the Kodak cameras helped make photography available to families in Greenbelt, Maryland and other households across the country.

Introduction

      The History of the Kodak Company

            Important Kodak Milestones (1937-1945)

                  The Basic Elements of All Kodak Cameras

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