Kodak Brownie Starlet (1957–1960)

The Kodak Brownie Starlet is a small, simple box camera made from 1957 to 1962 (some sources narrow this to 1957-1960). It belongs to the Star series of plastic cameras. The Brownie Camera Page says over 10 million Star series cameras were made from 1957, with versions continuing into the late 1960s. One collector called the Starlet "the simplest of all Star cameras." The lineup went on to the Brownie Starmite and then the Brownie Starflash (per Museums Victoria, which holds three Starlets in its Kodak Heritage Collection, including one Camera Outfit in its original box).

It shoots 127 film in the 4×4 format. The body is black plastic, measures 88 × 87 × 57 mm and weighs just 147 g. One source identifies the lens as an acrylic, single-element Dakon lens of f/8 or maybe f/11, set in a rotary shutter firing at probably 1/50 sec. Kamerastore lists one shutter speed and two aperture settings. The original price was $6.00, and the original design is credited to Arthur H. Crapsey. A French-made variant from 1957 also exists.

Documentation is thin past these basics. No original manuals or period reviews have surfaced in the archive, and viewfinder specs, construction materials beyond "plastic," and flash capabilities are unrecorded. The Starlet was a budget, entry-level camera in Kodak's mid-century Brownie line. Its light weight and simple controls make it a common find at flea markets and online auctions today.