Box Camera - Other Box Cameras

Other Box Cameras

'Le Phoebus 1870

Although many cameras of the mid nineteenth century were wooden and "boxy" in appearance with a brass fitted lens on the front they should not be confused with the mass produced box cameras that exploded in popularity after the introduction of the first Kodak. The "Le Phoebus" camera was typical, it was built of mahogany wood with a brass mounted lens in a rack and pinion focuser to adjust the projected image sharply onto a ground glass at the back. Most cameras like this used glass plates. The lens did not come equipped with a shutter, instead, the lenscap was removed and replaced to control the exposure time. the

Pocket Kodak 1895–1896

Pocket Kodaks were small (2 and 3/16 x 3 x 4 inches) and lightweight (6 ounces), and took roughly 2 inch exposures on 102 size rollfilm. This camera had a new feature, a small view box that told how many exposures of film were left. They were first available in 1895 with either black or red leather covering.

le Papillon 1905–1908

Meaning "the butterfly," le Papillon was a small French stereo camera which made 45mm x 107mm stereoscopic images on glass plates in single plateholders.

No. 00 Cartridge Premo Camera, 1916–1922

The No. 00 Cartridge Premo was Kodak's smallest box camera ever. It was only 2½ inches tall. It uses a simple rotary shutter with meniscus lens, and does not have a viewfinder. The photographer must use the leatherette covering to attempt to see the subject of the photograph.