AboutDavid Silver Expertise I'm an expert on all types of antique and classic CAMERAS, vintage PHOTOGRAPHS, and the 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; from daguerreotypes and tintypes to the black & white images by the 20th century masters. I can identify and appraise, explain techniques and processes, offer insights on restoration and preservation, and provide guidelines for buying and selling.
Experience I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for over 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:
Question I have what I believe to be a NO. 3-A folding pocket kodak, model B-4. What can you tell me about it? Thank you.
Answer
Hello Stephanie,
The No. 3A Folding Pocket Kodak is a traditional folding bellows camera, made by Eastman Kodak from 1903 to 1915, for 3 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch "post card size" exposures on old #122 roll film. There were many subtle model variations within the line, and your Model B-4 dates around 1910 or so. There were other sizes of cameras in the Folding Pocket Kodak series, but the No. 3A size is one of the best selling in history. Zillions were sold, so I'm afraid the raw numbers that have survived keeps the value down, but it's still regarded as a classic. A clean totally original example will sell for around $70 in the collectible camera market today.
