Kodak No. 1 Pocket Kodak (c. 1926–1932)

Name: Kodak No. 1 Pocket Kodak
Brand: Kodak

Documentation on the No. 1 Pocket Kodak is thin and the surviving record is muddled. Depending on which listing you read, this folding camera dates anywhere from circa 1909 to 1926. The most consistent evidence points to an introduction in 1926 with production running until 1932. The 120 roll film format supports that later date over the earlier ones on some dealer listings.

What is known with more confidence is the camera itself. It is a compact bellows folder with an all-leather body and a leather handle, and it folds flat to just 1.25 inches. The lens is an Anastigmat 105mm f/6.3-f/32, and the shutter is a Kodex No. 1 with T, B, and 1/25-1/50 speeds. The shutter release is a chrome push button. The camera came with a removable silver Art Deco stylus for the autographic feature, which contemporary sellers note is "usually lost in these cameras." One listing from 1stDibs (circa 1922 listing) specifically calls out that detail.

Kodak made several closely related variants under the Pocket Kodak name, which adds to the confusion. The No. 1 Pocket KODAK Camera variant was introduced in 1926 at $17. A Series II model also appears in chronological listings around 1915, though its relationship to the later cameras is not documented.

Surviving examples turn up regularly on auction sites, often described as "antique" and showing the expected wear. The Junior model's original green bellows are frequently replaced with black ones. That restoration is common enough that it is worth checking for if originality matters. No formal period reviews of the camera have surfaced, and no production quantities or original marketing materials are documented in the archive.