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Cameras/Eastman Kodak No. 3A Model B-4

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Expert: - 11/27/2006


Question
I am trying to find out what I have here, I have read many things dating this camera to from 1903-1913, however inside the back cover my particular camera is dated SEP 9, 1902. It also is stated to be a No. 3-A folding pocket Kodak Model B-4, with U.S. patents ranging from SEP.25.1894 through APR.29.1902. I am trying to get a value on this camera. It is thought to have been a gift from George Eastman to a Greatgrandfather many years back, who was a close friend of Mr. Eastman.

Thanks,
Brian

Answer
Hi,

The No. 3A Folding Pocket Kodak is an extremely common amateur's folding bellows camera, made in a number of minor variations by Eastman Kodak from 1903 to 1915, for 3 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch "post card size" exposures on #122 roll film.  Seriously, zillions of these were sold, it was one of the best selling cameras in history, and it seems liike the majority have survived to today.  The Model B-4 specifically dates from 1905 to 1909.  A truly excellent example would sell for $60-$70 in the current collectible camera market.  As for George Eastman gifting this camera to your great grandfather, this might indeed give it some extra value, but you would need proof of that provenance.  For example, a signed letter from Eastman in which the gift was noted.  However, Eastman frequently gave away Kodak cameras to casual friends and relations, for him it was just another merchandizing ploy, and, unless your great grandfather himself was a person of historical significance, probably the value would no more than double.  It all depends on your great grandfather and his relationship to Eastman.

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:

http://www.photographyhistory.com


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