Remembering My Box Brownie Camera
By Val
@valmnz (17095)
New Zealand
November 21, 2015 10:20pm CST
Since I posted my 1950s Christmas photo this morning, I've enoyed other people's memories about the old cameras of their childhood. This set me thinking about my old Kodak Box Brownie camera, a slightly simpler version of the camera shown here.
I received it for Christmas when I was 10 or 11 and I thought I was in seventh heaven. The camera was very basic and took only black and white photos. I wasn't all that clever at taking photos at first, but I loved my camera.
You had to use up all the film, 24 shots I think, before taking it in to get developed. That sometimes took quite some time. Then, when the film was developed, you'd find that many of the photos hadn't turned out very well. It didn't matter though, as long as you had some good ones.
Cameras and photography have come a long way since then. I'm sure many of you will remember cameras such as this from your younger days?
11 people like this
14 responses
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
22 Nov 15
I never had a camera until I joined Gather.com in 2005. I was a throw away camera person. And before that I had a simple Kodak, nothing to talk about, just a simple camera but it did do color film.
2 people like this
@allknowing (153530)
• India
22 Nov 15
I was only involved with a camera when my husband came into my life. He had a Yashica D a black and white that accepted a roll with 12 pictures. My husband carried his camera everywhere we went. We have loads of albums with black and white pohotos. It is only lately did I get into photography which has now become a passion with me. My first camera was a kodak that took coloured pictures graduating to a digital sony which I now have.
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@allknowing (153530)
• India
22 Nov 15
@valmnz It has become an obsession with me. My camera does a good job too.
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
22 Nov 15
Déjà vu. Yes I had a Brownie too. Then I had a Kodak camera with an accordian lens. Eventually technology simplified the camera to just dropping in a film cartridge (no threading it in) and I moved on to the pocket camera which used the 110 cartridges. 
Oh! And I can't forget the Polaroid Swinger! Instant B&W photos, but you had to spread that goop across them that came with each roll of film. (If you missed any, you saw streaks in your photos, where it didn't 'develop'.)
Today, I have a DSLR, two point & shoots, and a digital camcorder (not counting my phone, which I rarely use for.serious picture-taking). Oh yeah, not only has technology come a long way, but I sure have too!
Oh! And I can't forget the Polaroid Swinger! Instant B&W photos, but you had to spread that goop across them that came with each roll of film. (If you missed any, you saw streaks in your photos, where it didn't 'develop'.)
Today, I have a DSLR, two point & shoots, and a digital camcorder (not counting my phone, which I rarely use for.serious picture-taking). Oh yeah, not only has technology come a long way, but I sure have too!
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
22 Nov 15
@valmnz I went through the disposable phase too. I used to buy a bunch of them for traveling. Then I would drop them in an pre-addressed envelope and send them off to York which developed film for cheap. I can remember anxiously waiting for them to be returned to see my pictures. Nothing like the instant gratification we have today.
But the main thing I miss on cameras is a viewfinder. It is almost impossible to find a point & shoot that has one anymore.
But the main thing I miss on cameras is a viewfinder. It is almost impossible to find a point & shoot that has one anymore.1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
22 Nov 15
Wow that brought back some old memories. My Aunt Pauline had one of those and tool lots of pictures at all family events.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
22 Nov 15
Now that you brought this up I remember my father's old Brownie. Funny, my parents took a lot of photos of me, but when my sister was born 10 years later they bought movie camera so she has very few actual photos.
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@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
22 Nov 15
Neat old camera! now I just my phone, which really doesn't feel the same
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@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
22 Nov 15
@valmnz it seems like the photos have less, value, since there are so many. at the same time, I am glad, I could never afford to develop much film
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
22 Nov 15
@Jessicalynnt I had to save up my pocket money! So sometimes it was six months before the film got developed!
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
24 Nov 15
yes ma'am, i've still quite a few cameras from the past 'n wish i could find film fer 'em still. heck, i e'en went one step further 'n by the time i was in my mid teens, i'd a dark room 'n developed my own. i'm with ya, so many we thought were purt'near prize winnin' shots'f a lifetime'd a tendency to come out all wonky, lol.
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