Kodak No. 4 Box Camera, 1890-1897

01

Artifact Overview

Box cameras were simple: a lens at one end, a glass plate or film at the other. Introduced in the 1880s -- and mass marketed with Kodak's Brownie in 1900 -- these cameras were accessible and affordable for amateur photographers. Improvements in film and multiple exposure capabilities caused a relaxed approach to the photography of everyday life -- the snapshot was born.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Box camera

Date Made

1890-1897

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2017.0.34.560

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Composition (Material)
Glass (Material)
Iron alloy
Leather
Wood (Plant material)

Dimensions

Height: 6.5 in
Width: 13.0 in
Length: 5.25 in

Inscriptions

nameplate, inside camera: MADE BY THE EASTMAN COMPANY / ROCHESTER, N.Y. U.S.A. paper tag: IN ORDERING SUPPLIES FOR THIS CAMERA ALWAYS SPECIFY FOR NO. 4 KODAK stamped on top: 815
Kodak No. 4 Box Camera, 1890-1897