Kodak No. 2 Hawkette (1930)
The Kodak No. 2 Hawkette is a folding strut camera made in England by Kodak Ltd. in 1930. You couldn't have bought one in a shop. It was produced not for retail sale but as a premium item, given away with products like chocolates and cigarettes.
The body is brown marbled Bakelite with art-deco details and metal fittings. It takes eight 6×9cm frames on 120 roll film. It's one of a small family of British Bakelite folding strut cameras, a category that Shutterlogue called "a uniquely British endeavour and a brief yet significant moment in camera history." The Hawkette is often noted as an early example of plastic-bodied camera construction. The Bakelite components came from E. K. Cole Ltd., and Kodak Limited did the assembly in the UK.
Not much is documented about the optics. The lens is a 105mm single-element meniscus with apertures of f/16, f/22, and f/32, behind a simple working shutter. No precise shutter speeds, focus range, or viewfinder specs have surfaced in the record. One dealer described the camera as "tested and fully working," and Collectors Weekly calls it "the lovely Hawkette."
Known specifications:
- Film: 120 roll film, eight 6×9cm frames
- Lens: 105mm single-element meniscus, f/16–f/32
- Body: Brown marbled Bakelite with metal fittings
- Made: England, 1930, by Kodak Ltd.
- Status: Premium item — not sold at retail
Beyond that, the record is thin. There are no production quantities, no serial number ranges, and no original price, since it wasn't retailed. Nobody has documented which chocolate or cigarette brands carried it. It shows up regularly with vintage dealers and at auction, typically in the £40 - $50 range depending on condition.
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