Agfa Memo (1939)

Name: Agfa Memo
Brand: Agfa

Compact 35mm horizontal folding camera made in the USA, using proprietary Ansco Memo film cartridges for 24 exposures.

Overview

The Agfa Memo is a 35mm horizontal folding bed camera introduced in 1939 and produced at the former Ansco factory in Binghamton, New York, by Agfa-Ansco. It was one of the few Agfa-branded cameras manufactured in the United States. The camera uses double perforated 35mm film loaded into proprietary Ansco Memo cartridges, which provide 24 exposures without requiring film rewind. A half-frame version introduced in 1940 captures 18x24mm images. The film transport relies on a claw-based mechanism advanced by a sliding knob on the back plate. Production likely ended around 1941 when the U.S. government seized Agfa-Ansco assets during World War II.

Specifications

Film Format	Ansco Memo film cartridges (half-frame 18x24mm or full-frame 24x36mm)
Image Size	24x36mm (initial), 18x24mm (half-frame, from 1940)
Exposures per Cartridge	24 (Ansco Memo), 12 (Agfa Karat)
Lens	Agfa Memar anastigmat, f/3.5, f/4.5, or f/5.6 (~50mm focal length)
Aperture Range	f/5.6 to f/22 (f/5.6 model); f/3.5 and f/4.5 models stop down to f/22
Shutter Speeds	f/5.6 model: 1/25s, 1/50s, 1/100s, B, T; f/4.5 and f/3.5 models: 1/2s to 1/200s, B, T
Shutter Type	Manually-cocked leaf shutter (possibly Wollensak)
Focusing	Adjustable from 3.5 feet to infinity (all models)
Viewfinder	Centrally mounted eye-level optical viewfinder with scale focus
Flash Sync	None
Frame Counter	Manually-reset 24-exposure indicator
Body Construction	Pressed steel stampings, metal-bodied folding design
Finish	Flat black paint (f/5.6 model); black morocco leather with nickel trim (f/4.5 and f/3.5 models)
Weight	519 grams

Design

The Agfa Memo uses a cassette-to-cassette film transport system developed by Ansco in 1927, with a ratcheting claw that advances double-perforated 35mm film through the camera without rewinding. The bottom-hinged folding door protects the lens and shutter when closed. The top plate includes an accessory shoe, viewfinder, shutter release, and an uncoupled depth of field calculator (on higher-end models). The sliding film advance on the back plate is noted as a distinctive and functional design element. The camera can accept both Ansco Memo and smaller Agfa Karat cartridges, though the latter requires adjusting the frame counter to 12 exposures.

Context

The Agfa Memo was an unusual release, as Agfa had already developed its own Karat 35mm film format three years earlier. By using the Ansco Memo cartridge—developed in the U.S.—and manufacturing the camera at the Binghamton factory, Agfa-Ansco targeted the American market where Ansco film was more widely available. The ability to use either Memo or Karat cartridges gave it a market advantage in Europe. The camera’s production ceased around 1941 due to the U.S. government seizing Agfa-Ansco assets at the start of World War II.

Market

The Agfa Memo is less common than its Ansco-branded counterpart and sees limited collector demand today. One listing offered a faulty unit—lens detaching, internal parts loose—for $36 (on sale from $50), suggesting use primarily for parts or niche collecting. Original prices ranged from $14.50 to $35 in 1940, with the f/4.5 model priced at $25 and the f/3.5 at $35.