You Press the Button - We Do the Rest. September 4, 1888 the Birth of Snapshot Photography
While I don't have an original KODAK camera,
I do
have several Kodak cameras that date as early as
1899. Pictured above is the line drawing
from the original patent issued. To see the
complete patent, continue reading this posting
below.
According to kodak.com,
the word "Kodak" was also first registered as a
trademark in 1888. There has been some fanciful
speculation, from time to time, on how the name
was originated. But the plain truth is that
Eastman invented it out of thin air.
He explained: "I devised the name myself. The
letter "K" had been a favorite with me -- it seems
a strong, incisive sort of letter. It became a
question of trying out a great number of
combinations of letters that made words starting
and ending with 'K.' The word 'Kodak' is the
result." Kodak's distinctive yellow trade dress,
which Eastman selected, is widely known throughout
the world and is one of the company's more valued
assets.
Newest Addition to the Camera Collection: Kodak No 4 Bullet Special
Yup, this is
my second new camera to the collection this week.
What can I say. And this one I am quite excited
about. It has a pretty good story behind it.
The Eastman Kodak company had a competitor when
this camera first came out (1895) called the Boston
Camera Manufacturing Company. They had a very
popular camera called the Bulls-Eye Camera. Eastman
at first countered this new threat by copying it -
the Eastman Bullet Camera made its debut in 1895.
Both the Bullet and Bulls-Eye were simple rollfilm
cameras taking 3½ x 3½-inch exposures.
In Search of a Shutter for a Kodak Panoram 4D -- Any Help Out There?
The
Panoram 4D that I purchased a couple of months
ago is missing the shutter mechanism. The lens
itself can swing just fine, but there is no shutter
release button or the mechanism to initiate
movement of the lens.
If you have an old Panoram 4D that could be sold
for parts, please let me know. Thanks
for the help!
Newest Addition to the Camera Collection: Kodak Panoram 4D
I have been looking for a Panoram for some time. It
turns out, most Panoram's I have found over the
last several years are pretty beat up. This
one--the last model Kodak produced, is in pretty
good shape. According to Kodak Cameras: The First 100
Years, this model was manufactured from
1899 to 1924.
So what is so special about the Panorams? The
camera created a 142 degree wide image on the film
by having the lens sweep from left to right during
the exposure. To see how the lens moves, I have
created a page where you can "grab" the lens and
move it back and forth.
Is There a 1888 Kodak Camera in the House? How About a Panoram?
Anyone who is willing to part with an 1888 Kodak
Camera, please let me know. I am trying to find one
to add my camera collection.
I am also looking to find a Kodak Panoram in
good condition. I'm yet to find one on eBay in
good shape.