Kodak Baby Brownie

Specification

Art Deco Credentials

Significant: Pronounced and self evident

I consider this camera to warrant 4 stars for the following attributes:

• Designed during the main Art Deco period
• Designed by Walter Dorwin Teague
• Bakelite body with linear stepped pattern surrounding camera
• Optical finder with stepped linear pattern in Bakelite
• Curvilinear shape

Description

The Kodak Baby Brownie Special is a tiny Bakelite medium format film box camera made by Kodak in Rochester, NY, USA. It was a replacement for the Kodak Baby Brownie which was improved by adding an optical viewfinder. Like several other cameras sold by Kodak in the 1930s and 40s, the Baby Brownie Special was designed by Walter Dorwin Teague. The camera body is made from moulded Bakelite with a linear stepped pattern surrounding the camera. It has an optical finder also with stepped linear pattern in Bakelite. The shutter is operated by a white plastic push button at the side of the lens. The film winder is also in white plastic. The body has two halves which are held together by a sliding latch on either side. The front part has the shutter, lens and film transport. The back is just a box carrying the viewfinder and red window. It has a curved film plane. Export models in 1939 had a button for brief time exposures.

For those wishing buy one of these cameras to take pictures, please be aware that the Bakelite has become very brittle and many specimens of this camera have broken seals. So look carefully at the seals before purchasing. Also the viewfinder is detachable so some are missing this piece. I had to buy 3 of these on Ebay before I got one with complete seals and a viewfinder.

How to Use

Find the manual for this camera here:- Baby Brownie Special Manual

This camera takes 127 film which is still available from select outlets - search for 'Rera Pan 100-127' which is a black & white film. For those photographers in the UK, try Nick & Trick photographic services. If you want to use a particular type of film which is not available commercially, then you can cut your own 127 film from any 120 film. See my page on 'How to cut 127 film from 120 film'.