Frequently Asked Questions: Technology Collection
Do you want my camera for the collection?
The technology collection only accepts items for the collection that are not already represented in the collection. We may accept a duplicate item if it is in significantly better condition than the collection example, or if the curator determines is necessary to have in duplicate. The technology department acquisitions committee must approve all objects taken into the collection.
What is my camera worth?
Museums do not do formal appraisals of objects. We may quote the value of an object from a published source, or unofficially suggest what one would expect an item to sell for at an antique store.
How many Brownie cameras were produced?
We do not have the production records from the Eastman Kodak Company, so we are not able to determine this number. We do know that over 1,000,000 Brownie cameras were made during its first five years of production. There are almost 100 different models of the Brownie camera family produced over an eighty-year period.
Can I still get film for my old camera?
Many of the older film sizes have been discontinued. Eastman Kodak Company still manufactures 120 film, which was originally introduced for the No. 2 Brownie camera in 1901; many older cameras use this format. A company called Film for Classics still sells 127, 620, and 828 roll films. They can be purchased from Wright Images in Henrietta, or by dealing directly with Film for Classics at:
Film for Classics
P.O. Box 486
Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
(585) 624-4945
Can you supply information about a camera’s age?
The technology department will supply information about the age and manufacturer of most photographic equipment if possible.
Do you supply instruction manuals for my old camera?
The collection contains some camera manuals, but we do not provide copies of them. The Eastman Kodak Company will provide copies of instruction manuals if copies are in stock.
Contact Jane Fisher at:
Eastman Kodak Company
Camera Resource Center
1600 Lexington Ave
Rochester, NY 14652-4170
(585) 726-2110
John Craig, a private dealer, may have camera instruction manuals. He can be reached at:
John Craig
P.O. Box 1637-CS
Torrington, CT 06709
(203) 496-9791
A website with information on instruction manuals can be found at this link:
www.cameramanualstore.com
What is the oldest camera?
The first commercially sold camera is the Giroux Daguerreotype camera. It was introduced in 1839. The collection contains two examples of this camera.
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