A Newsletter of the White River Valley Museum January 2003

"Press the button, we do the rest" by Dr. Tina Brewster Wray, Curator of Collections   In the late 1800s, manufacturers turned the public's interest in photography into a lucrative market with the introduction of easy-to-use cameras. The breakthrough was George Eastman's invention of roll-film, which replaced glass plates for capturing images. The prospect of carrying a stack of heavy and fragile glass plates, one plate for each photograph, and then having to process them yourself discouraged all but the most dedicated amateurs. Roll-film was not only light weight, but held many exposures, so one simply wound the film forward after each photograph. In addition, the film could be sent to the factory for processing.   "Even a child can do it" was the message of ads for the inexpensive Brownie camera.   The first Kodak roll-film camera hit the market in 1888. It sold well, but at the price of $25 (when the average weekly wage was $8) it was too expensive for most people. The Kodak Company worked on developing less expensive cameras, and the result was the Brownie camera, introduced in 1900. A small box camera made from cardboard and wood, the Brownie retailed for just $1. It was an instant success and more than 100,000 were sold its first year. Intended for the children's market, the Brownie was embraced by all age groups and single-handedly inaugurated the age of home snapshot photography. Folding pocket camera, 1927 Concurrent with the Brownie, companies were also marketing higher quality roll-film cameras for home use. Known as folding pocket cameras, they had a lens front that pulled out, variable shutter speeds, a reflecting viewfinder, and even a spirit-level (so you could tell if the camera was perfectly vertical). One of the more popular versions was the autographic camera, introduced in 1914. With these cameras, the photographer could write information on the film while it was still in the camera. These cameras remained popular until the 1930s. Dr. Tina Brewster Wray