1952-1959 / Kodak Eastman Brownie 127 First Model / Vintage Camera

The 1952-1959 Kodak Eastman Brownie 127 First Model is a popular plastic box camera made in England by Kodak Ltd. It uses 127 roll film to produce eight 4×6 cm images and features a simple plastic meniscus lens with no aperture or focus controls and a single-speed rotary shutter of about 1/50 second. The camera has a distinctive dark brown Bakelite-type plastic body with a rounded shape that follows the film’s curved path, broad horizontal striped sides, and a reverse-Galilean viewfinder; the film advances with a wide flat knob, and the shutter is released by a button. Its top section, which holds the film carrier and viewfinder, lifts out for loading film. Over a million units were made by 1954, and some were exported to the U.S. as the Brownie Starlet. This model is noted for its simplicity and robustness, making it a widely beloved snapshot camera of its era.