Cameras/kodak pocket camera
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Question
hi.....I was reading some of your other questions, and I got some answers, but I was a little confused. I have a No.3-A Kodak Autographic camera, but I've been looking around and none of the pics match mine. It says it's a model C and has the number 15414 on it. The patents range from 1909 to 1921 for the US. It has other patents on it from other countries. I was wondering if this is different from the other one's or just a slightly different model. Thanks in advance for your time.
Hello Cody,
There's a bit of confusing history here. The No. 3A Folding Pocket Kodak was a very common amateur folding bellows camera, made by Eastman Kodak from 1903 to 1914, for 3 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch post card size exposures on #122 roll film. Inside the cameras, they are further marked by letter (A, AB, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, or C) for a particular model. The model differences are very subtle. At the end of the line in 1914, the Model C became the No. 3A Autographic Kodak, with the addition of the autographic feature on the back door (for scribing information on the edge of each exposure when using specific autographic film), but remained otherwise unchanged. It was so popular, it stayed in production until 1933! Some examples "disagree" with themselves because they'll say No. 3A Folding Pocket Kodak Model C on one part of the camera and No. 3A Autographic Kodak on another, but after 1914 the proper company catalog name was the latter only. These are some of the best selling cameras in history, so I'm afraid they're painfully common today. A truly excellent example will only go for around $45-$50 in the current collectible camera market.
Best wishes,
David Silver
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David Silver
Expertise
I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.
Experience
I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:
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