Expert: David Silver - 10/15/2007

Question
I have a Kodak #2 box camera, NOT a brownie, but the 2nd model ever made by Kodak in the late 1800's. It has never been used and it is still "wrapped" with a string through all the mechanisms. I suppose you needed to cut the string before it was to be used. My wife used to work for Kodak and got this from "someone" when she left. All I can find on the web is info about the brownie models, which appear to have been mass produced and not worth too much these days due to their abundance. I did find this exact camera on the site, boxcameras.com and would love to know its approx. value.  Thank You!

Answer


Hello Mark,

The No. 2 Kodak Camera was actually the third model made by the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company (later the Eastman Kodak Company).  The Kodak Camera of 1888 was first (what we today call the "original" Kodak), then a much improved model  called the No. 1 Kodak replaced it early in 1889, and then the larger No. 2 Kodak was introduced in October of 1889.  In that first series of Kodak cameras, there would also be a No. 3, No. 3 Junior, No. 4, and No. 4 Junior.  The No. 2 was by far the most common model, as it stayed in production until 1897!  It made sixty round 3 1/2 inch diameter exposures on a roll of film.  The fact that yours is "wrapped" with string does not indicate it was never used.  It only indicates it has come back from the factory.  When the user finished a roll of film, the entire camera could be shipped to Eastman with the appropriate fees, where the film was removed, the pictures processed, the camera reloaded, and everything returned.  It was standard procedure for the cameras to be completely strung up for security every time they were reloaded at the factory.  So, I have no doubt the camera may be in very fine condition, but it may have had 100+ rolls of film through it!  Makes no difference...from a collectible point of view it's all about condition, and if you believe it looks that new, than it's a dandy one indeed.  Despite being relatively common items, truly excellent examples still bring about $500 today.  If it's REALLY excellent, especially strung up by the factory, you're looking at 50% more, so certainly around $750.  I would like very much to see a picture of it.  My organization has been trying to acquire a decent "wrapped" Kodak camera for several years, and they're hard to find.  People can never resist the temptation to take the string off!  So please send a JPEG image to me at <silver@well.com> where I can take a look at it.  Please be careful.  It's a genuine antique and much more fragile than you might think.  It really should be placed in a proper collection somewhere, but that's for you to decide.  I look forward to seeing it!

Best wishes,

David Silver