The Brownie Camera: Point-and-Shoot Pictures

The Brownie camera was the first inexpensive device that regular people could use to take photographs. This was a very exciting prospect for Americans at the turn of the century.

The camera was simple to use and priced at only a dollar.

Introduced in 1901, the Brownie camera was the creation of George Eastman, a budding Rochester-based entrepreneur, and one of his suppliers, Frank A. Brownell. Brownell’s company made shell cases for cameras, including the more expensive Kodak camera that Eastman started selling in 1888.

The Brownie went on to have a long and impressive history.

Progress in Photography

During the mid-1800s, all photography was carried out by professionals.  The equipment was heavy and cumbersome, and the specialized work was painstaking. The very notion of capturing and printing still images was astonishing, yet the reality was far from simple.

Nineteenth-century photographers relied on glass plates (one for each photograph). A wet chemical solution was painted on each piece of glass before it was inserted into the camera.

To capture an exposure, the camera needed to be aimed at the subject for a long time. At the start of photography, two hours was the norm, though eventually the time period was brought down to 10-20 minutes. This is why Civil War photographers focused on bodies of the deceased because they could not capture soldiers in action.

Portrait photography of the era faced the same problem. People having their photos taken did not smile and looked grim because sitting still for two hours became uncomfortable. When a person was photographed standing, photographers often placed a brace behind the person to reduce the understandable reaction of wiggling or swaying.

Once the picture was taken, the photo needed to be developed immediately. War photographers carried their equipment to the battlefields in wagons that could be converted to makeshift dark rooms. Each image needed to be processed before the photographer could return to the battlefield to take another picture.

Inventors Tinkering

Like any new type of technology, inventors and tinkerers were excited. How could a better camera be made? The search was on for one that laymen could use.

One step forward occurred during the 1870s. Some photographers began using dry plate photography. By treating plates of glass with a dried gelatin emulsion, the images did not need to be processed right away. This meant the photographer could store the plates temporarily and develop them later. The glass was still fragile and not easy to work with, but it was progress.

Initially, George Eastman invested $94 in a photography set up. This was a large sum for a bank clerk to spend on a hobby, but he was fascinated by photography.

One of his early discoveries concerned the use of wet plates. He saw that coating the glass plates was tedious. If it was not done properly, the results of the photos were uneven. Eatman worked to solve this, and his first patent (1880) was for a method to more uniformly coat the glass plates.

Dry Plate Photography

He heard about inventors who were working with dry plate photography and learned the benefits of it. Because he was business-minded, he thought this could be the “next big thing.” If he could figure out a way to mass produce and sell dry plates, he could afford to leave his bank job.

To his surprise, other photographers did not agree with him. A customer base failed to materialize. Professional photographers stayed with the tried and true wet plate photography.

Eastman’s next thought was to expand the base of people who could afford cameras. What if he had a device that was simple enough that regular people could use it with dry plates?

Working with a roll of paper, he experimented with different substances to coat the paper. Because he had no real expertise in chemistry, he hired a young chemist he met through one of his friends. Working under Eastman, Henry Reichenbach helped create a thin chemical coating that was flexible enough that the paper could be rolled. The coating was still transparent enough to capture an image. In 1884, Eastman received two patents for different coatings that worked on paper.

By 1889, Eastman created a rollable transparent film. This invention was the foundational development needed for the photography and film industries.

The Kodak

Armed with his new patents, Eastman went to work on creating a camera for regular people. As it evolved, the new camera was everything Eastman hoped for. It was a simple, handheld box camera with a fixed-focus lens and a single shutter speed. No tripod was required. The user held the camera about waist-high, looked down into the viewfinder and took the picture.

According to the George Eastman website, Eastman chose the name “Kodak” because he felt the letter K had a strong sound. He also wanted a name that could be pronounced in any language. He trademarked the term in 1888.

Eastman’s slogan for his new product was “You press the button—we do the rest.” The camera, however, was not cheap. The Kodak was priced at $25 (about $500 today).  

Five thousand were sold during the first six months it was on the market. Well-to-do hobbyists happily joined the exclusive club of professional photographers. 

Off to a Strong Start

As his new camera pushed his company into the black, Eastman wanted to expand his business.  He lacked the chemical background to make big improvements in the product, so he hired the chemists he needed. He also bought up companies—some for the personnel he needed; others for the   patents they held that Eastman wanted.

George Eastman knew reaching the customer was important. He acquired several large photographic stores in major cities. This permitted him to reach consumers directly.

By 1895, Eastman Kodak, rebranded from Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company (1892), had captured a substantial share of the global film market. The company manufactured 90 percent of both still camera and motion picture film sold worldwide.

George Eastman was known as the Kodak King and was the world’s dominant camera manufacturer.

Competition Increases for Pocket Cameras

The Kodak sold well to a wealthy audience, but all budding photography entrepreneurs knew that a more affordable camera was needed.

The Zar Camera Company introduced the “Pocket Zar” in 1896. The camera weighed only 3 oz and measured 3.75 x 2.25 inches. The drawback to the pocket camera was that it used glass plates. This kept it from being a “simple” camera.

Two other companies came out with “pocket” designs, but they, too, used glass plates.

Then Came the Brownie Camera

As Eastman mulled over the idea of a less expensive camera that could be sold to the masses, he decided he already worked with the fellow who would be a good partner. George Eastman had relationships with various suppliers for certain parts of the cameras he manufactured. One of his suppliers was Frank A. Brownell, whose company was also based in Rochester, New York. Brownell made wood and metal camera shells (bodies).

Eastman pitched his idea to Brownell, and by 1900, they were ready to go to market. Brownell created a carboard box camera covered with faux leather. It was lightweight and relatively inexpensive to produce. Eastman Kodak built the inner workings, and the camera was pre-loaded with a roll of film. It sold for $1.

Together Eastman and Brownell decided the camera should be called the “Brownie.” It checked off all the boxes for what Eastman wanted.

How the Brownie Worked

Once people had taken photographs with the pre-loaded camera, they brought the box camera back to the store. The cameras were then sent out for processing (developing the film and putting in a new roll for more photographs). When people returned to the store, they picked up their prints and their reloaded camera. They were ready for another round of picture-taking!

The Brownie sold 10 million units in five years.

Marketing the Brownie with Brownies

Artist Palmer Cox became an instrumental part of the Brownie marketing campaign. Cox (1840-1924) was a Canadian-born artist and writer who had fond memories of the tales told by his family about the brownies (fairies) who were part of his Scottish ancestry.  For his creative work, he drew and wrote about a band of brownies. In the tales Cox told, the brownies crept out after family members were asleep and often helped with unfinished household chores. But they were also very curious and sometimes got into mischief.

Cox’s brownies were first featured in several children’s magazines during the 1880s. Because they were well-liked by readers, Cox was offered several book deals.

As his characters became more popular, Cox let them explore different types of technology. In one book they ride on a steam locomotive. At another point, they test out using a telephone. Over time Cox had the opportunity to license them for use in marketing about 40 products.

When George Eastman saw the brownies connecting with new inventions, he knew this was perfect for his pocket camera. Soon the brownies were a major part of the Brownie advertising plan. They communicated that the cameras were easy and fun to use. Eastman used them in print ads but also produced books about the brownies and their picture-taking escapades. 

The pairing of Palmer Cox’s brownies and the new compact camera was very successful for all involved.   

Brownie Camera Clubs of America

George Eastman saw that the Brownie was simple enough for children to use, so he wanted to help store owners sell to that market. He developed plans for Brownie Camera Clubs. Children under the age of 16 were encouraged to join at no cost. Photo contests were held locally, and the prizes, of course, were Brownie cameras.

Promotions Too Successful

As any manufacturer knows, you need to create a great product and then provide reasons for people to upgrade to buy a more sophisticated model. (A great example of this is Apple iPhones with their endless number of new phones that are the latest, greatest thing.)

After the introduction of the Brownie, Eastman Kodak Company kept creating improved versions of the camera. The new ones captured better photos more precisely, but Eastman saw that customers weren’t interested. The $1 camera so well promoted by Palmer Cox’s brownies was serving the public well. Why buy a new camera?

Over time, Eastman Kodak pulled back on marketing the Brownie camera. To promote the new models, Eastman harked back to the more expensive and highly regarded Kodak. The new cameras were sold as “Little Cousins of the Kodak.”

Anniversary Promotion

In 1930, Eastman Kodak marked its 50^th year in business. George Eastman wanted to celebrate that, so the company created special anniversary cameras.  The camera was based on the #2 Hawkeye premium camera. It had a tan leatherette covering, gilt fittings and a gold foil anniversary sticker on its side.

Kodak dealers in North America distributed them at no charge to children turning age 12 that year. This was planned during robust economic times but the implementation was during the beginning of the Depression. The children who received them must have felt particularly lucky.

Eastman Kodak produced and gave out 557,000 Eastman Anniversary Cameras.

Brownie Cameras Still Sold

Brownie cameras were still being manufactured and sold in the late 1950s, though other cameras were moving into the territory by that time.

And Eastman Kodak did not stand still. Leveraging the company’s expertise, Eastman diversified into numerous fields, establishing the nation’s first industrial research laboratories, developing x-ray machines, and pioneering aerial photography cameras.

The company had a good long run until digital cameras ate away at their business. First, the company saw that people no longer needed film. Then as phone cameras were introduced, consumers no longer wanted cameras either. It was a shattering shift to the world of photography.

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