How did the first invented Brownie Camera opperate???

-- Amber Brown (amshort49@aol.com), January 29, 2002

Answers

Hello, Amber, Here's the information on the first Brownie, which you could have found the same place I did, right on the Brownie Camera Home Page:

Brownie (The) Type: Box rollfilm Introduced: Feb 1900 Discontinued: Oct 1901 Film size: 117 Picture size: 2 1/4 X 2 1/4" Manufactured: US Lens: Meniscus Shutter: Rotary Numbers made: 245,000 Original price: $1.00

Description: Card box with wood film carrier; no finder but V sighting lines on top with a clip-on accessory reflecting finder available from July 1900; detachable film winding key. This camera introduced the 2 1/4" square format.

Variations: The first batch of about 15,000 had push-on box lid backs which proved unreliable. Most of this first batch was sent to Kodak Limited and examples are therefore more common in Europe. Mar 1900: Bottom hindged back with sliding latch on top. Approximate worth: $700-1000

You can see a picture of it at http://www.nwmangum.com/K/ and at http://www.toptown.com/nowhere/kypfer/f_index.htm - both sites call it the No. 1 Brownie. They also will give a little more information.

Hope this helps!

-- Pete Lutz (mariner8378@hotmail.com), January 29, 2002.