the 1st Brownie Camera
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:
Original with push-on box back: $700-1000
Bottom hindged back: $120-200
