PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Way back, in the dim, distant days of 1920, my mother bought a small camera - an Autographic Vest Pocket Kodak. Cost, $6.00 USD. From 1912 until 1926, Eastman Kodak made and sold
1, 750, 000 of these small cameras. Folded up, it measured only 1 x 2.5 x 4.75 inches (25 x 65 x 125 MM), thus it could easily fit a vest or shirt pocket. They were very popular with soldiers in World War One, and thus were often called the "Soldier's Camera."

Fitted with a simple, single element meniscus lens, maximum aperture, f/11 and a shutter with only 1/25, 1/50. T & B, the camera was easy to operate. There were other versions with better quality lenses, one standard model with a Kodak Anastigmat , f/7.7 lens, sold for $12.00 USD. The Vest Pocket was the first Kodak to use Type 127 film. The "Autographic" had a small door in the rear, and a small stylus, which enabled the user to write on the margins of each negative, using a special "Autographic" film. I believe Kodak discontinued that film before I was born. and standard 127 was dropped by Kodak decades ago. The type is still available from foreign sources, but is expensive.

My mother's camera is in perfect mechanical condition, the shutter is fine, works consistently, and the little leather bellows, the most delicate part, is intact, no cracks or holes. The original box is somewhat the worse for wear, but still houses the camera OK.

Ann made the photo below with her little Kodak C663 - from Kodak to Kodak and age to age.

My Mother's Camra

chase4 Loc: Punta Corona, California

Great bit of history, thanks for sharing.

photon56 Loc: North America

Yes, very nice piece of history. It is always interesting to see what was manufactured at a particular time in history based on available knowledge of the day.

RichardQ Loc: Colorado

On the German side during the First World War, a somewhat similar "collapsible" camera was made by the Plaubel company. It was called the Makina and was introduced in 1912 as a 4.5 cm x 6 cm format and a Stereo-Makina 4.5 cm x 10.7 cm format, both using only plates (no rollfilm). Like the Kodak model in this posting, the slim pocket-sized camera opened and closed quickly with a folding scissors-strut arrangement, unlike the bulkier "trap-door" cameras which opened with a hinged door on which the lens standard slid out on rails. The Plaubel Makina was equipped with Plaubel's own very respectable lenses. It was redesigned in the 1920s to a 6 cm x 9 cm format and soon equipped for 120 rollfilm (in Germany called "B4" film). The Makina became a favorite of European press photographers and serious amateurs for 40 years, evolving through three models before production of the Makina IIIR was discontinued in 1960. After Plaubel was sold to a Japanese company in 1975, a Japanese 6 cm x 7 cm version with Nikkor lenses was produced and although discontinued in 1986 (due to Mamaya's bankruptcy) it is still favored by medium-format photographers.

crimesc324 Loc: West Palm Beach, Florida

very interesting, thanks for sharing

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Thanks for that.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Very interesting, Photoman & Ann, thanks for posting. I 'grew-up' using 127 film. I had a little 127 that took 'split-frame' photos yielding twice the normal amount of exposures per roll. Each frame was a little smaller than 35mm frame and I enjoyed shooting thousands of photos with that little camera. I would occasionally 'blow them up' in my little darkroom to a whopping 5x7 size! Good memories, thank you!

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

This is the nicest thread I have read here in a long time.

Thanks

WSHIRKEA Loc: TEMPE, AZ

I love exploring camera. History. Thanks for sharing.

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Thanks for the comment. Each of us has a little bit of history to share.

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Thank you for the kind comment. Each of us has a little bit of history to relate. So much gets lost.

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Thanks for your information. I remember the 6 x 9 Plaubel Makina quite well. I recall them on sale, used, in the camera shops when I ws a young man.

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Thank you. We all have something to share.

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Thanks, Jerry. I respect your opinions. Are you still snowed in?

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Thanks for your kind comments. Thanks for the information and thanks for the memories.