Box 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:
The camera that started it all was a leatherette covered card box with a wooden film carrier. The original had no finder but did have V sighting lines on top. A clip-on accessory reflecting finder became available from August 1900. It had a detachable film winding key that I would imagine got lost often. This camera also 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: The back was modified with a bottom hinged back with a sliding latch on top.

Fun Facts:
This camera is considered by many experts to be the most important camera ever manufactured. The reason is that it was produced so cheaply that anyone, not just professionals or people of means, could own it. Because it was so simple to use, anyone could operate it right out of the box.
The film was also cheap, even for 1900. For less than $2.00 anyone could buy The Brownie, a roll of film, and get it processed. The February 1900 Trade Circular lists a 6 exposure roll of transparent film at $0.15, paper-negative film at $0.10, and $0.40 for processing them!
The Brownie also showed the marketing genius of George Eastman. Eastman was first a film manufacturer, but he could see what bringing photography to the masses, especially marketing to young people, via cheap but durable cameras would mean for future film sales and processing. A camera in every home meant alot of film to be sold and processed. He could not have been more correct!
The first Brownie camera was shipped on Feb. 8, 1900 and gave birth to the snapshot.

A rounded metal-cased box camera, with an eye-level plastic viewfinder on top, taking 6x9 images on 120 film; made between 1955 & 1959 by Bilora in Germany. Two speed (1/50, 1/100) shutter + B, fixed-focus 105mm/f.11 lens, stop to f.16; telescope-type eye-level finder

There are (at least) two other versions of the Gevabox: A Bakelite-moulded version, very similar to the Adox 66, taking 6x6 images on 120 film; made c.1950 for Gevaert by Hermann Wolf GmbH, Wuppertal, Germany. And a rectangular metal box-camera type device with chrome edges, taking 6x9 images on 120 film; made from c.1951 for Gevaert by Hermann Wolf GmbH, Wuppertal, Germany.

Vrede Box is a series of medium format film box camera, manufactured by Vredeborch GmbH, Nordenham, Germany. A large number of cameras were made for other distributors with their own name. Vrede Box models were the basis for many name variations, such as Filmor, Fodor, G-M-Box, Haaga, Helios, Hanimex, Joy-Box, Manex, Monty, N-Box, Prinz Pilot, Photopia, Regia Box, Slomexa, Texar, Union.

There are many models and versions of the Vrede Box. Sometimes the camera fronts with the names have been used indiscriminately, so a Standard has a self-timer or a Paloma has none. Early versions of the cameras has diagonally hand-strap on the top, late ones straight hand-strap. Some cameras have no model name on the front.

Vrede Box cameras were made in many flavors and colors. In fact, through the 1950s and 60s, Vredeborch GmbH manufactured an enormous number of cameras that were sold under other brands, in addition to their own line.

Like many box camera manufacturers, naming didn't always follow a strict system and thus one can find many different features on cameras of the same name. The "Standard-Menis" version seems to be the most common.

Some obscure branded cameras made by Vredeborch are very rare, and often, very beautifully styled - but they all are born of the Vrede Box.

The Vrede Box Standard-Menis is quite a feature-packed but lightweight machine, with a lot of advantages for maintenance and usage. It scores well above average on our scale. If there is a drawback to this camera, it's that the very thin all-metal body can can be prone to rust, and the faceplate and film door may need adjustment to fit tightly in a well-used camera.

This camera begins a strong feature set with a Time mode and an extra aperture, each on separate pull-out tabs above the shutter. The shutter is a snappy "Always Off" style (as we call it), and just below the shutter - a socket for a cable release!

A small knob on the front of the camera slides a yellow filter into place. Unlike the similar feature on Agfa Ansco cameras, this filter can be used with either aperture.

Being a camera of the 1950s, it has three features we really love - 2 standard tripod sockets for portrait or landscape orientation - and a PC socket to attach any electronic flash or studio lights.

The viewfinders are exceptionally bright. The taking lens is inside the camera, however there is also a glass protector lens in the faceplate!

The Vrede Box is very easy to disassemble should you need to clean the viewfinders, filter or protector lens - or to adjust the tiny brush that fires the flash, should it cease to work reliably (a common issue easily solved!)

Rounding out the outstanding features, is an all-metal film holder that keeps your rolls tight.

Agfa Box 50 is a medium format box camera manufactured by Agfa Camerawerk AG, München, Germany between 1950-51.

The Target Brownie Six-20 is a metal box type camera with 2 brilliant view finders and either a black front(Target Brownie Six-20) or an art-deco design on front panel(Six-20 Target Brownie*see below). It featured a sliding f/stop tab for a choice of around f/11 or f/16 and a "B" setting tab for time exposures. This camera evolved into the very popular Brownie Target Six-20.

"Target" cameras were primarily made and sold in North America. The name "Target" was used for quite a few different cameras including Hawk-Eye cameras as well for Brownie cameras. *Sometimes Kodak made camera model names confusing from one model to another by using almost identical names, sometimes with a word order change. This is well illustrated with Target cameras. Look at the image above and though the cameras look different, the name on the cameras are the same, "Target Brownie Six-20". However, the box that the camera on the right came in has the name as, "Six-20 Target Brownie". These two different cameras seem to have been made at exactly the same time and when both were discontinued, the "Brownie Target Six-20" was born. Confused? So am I! If you find one of these in working order, grab it. Because of the 620 film size, which is easily respoolable, this camera can be used today with excellent results.

Coronet Box Cameras are medium format 120 film cameras made by Coronet in England.

There are several other Coronet Box models which also made by Tiranty in France. This means that the same camera model could be found either British made or French made. For these models see the article Tiranty Box Cameras (Coronet).

All of the Coronet box camera models are in medium format, 6x9cm frame with roll 120 film. They have a simple one speed spring rotary shutter. These boxes are offered with various meniscus type lenses.

Eho-Altissa was a German camera maker based in Dresden. The company started in 1892 as Richard Knoll's "Photo Spezialhaus" in Leipzig. Since 1904 it started repairing and manufacturing photographic supply. In 1910 it moved to Dresden. In 1927 it was taken over in by Emil Hofert and later continued by Berthold Altmann.

In the early 1930s the company was successfully making box cameras. The mechanician Karl Heinrich Altmann created the unique "Altissa" box camera line. The company's cameras were sold under brands of warehouses and photo suppliers: Adina (Kaufhof), AKO, Arto, Beier, Errtee (Romain Talbot, Berlin), Fotam, Fotka (Czech), Hamaphot, Hermax, Mantel, Mono, Nebo, Rhaco, RECORD, Rilo, Staufen, and Wara. In 1937 the company launched its only reflex camera Altiflex, and in 1939 its sophisticated 35mm viewfinder camera series Altix.

The company's name was changed several times: EHO-Kamerafabrik GmbH (1931), Amca Werk Berthold Altmann (1940), Altissa Camera Werk (1941), VEB Altissa Camera Werk (1952). In 1950 it was still a private company, having 160 employees. But Berthold Altmann decided to move to Western Germany. In absence he was condemned by East-German justice, and as consequence his company was taken over by the Socialist East-German state.

From 1959 it was part of VEB Kamera- und Kinowerke. The production of its cameras was ceased in 1961. A license production of the Altix VI cameras was launched in Sarajevo (Yugoslavia) with the original production equipment from the abandoned German factory.