Kodak No. 2A Brownie Camera (1907–1936)

The No. 2A Brownie was one of Kodak's most successful early box cameras. It stayed in production for nearly three decades and sold over 2,100,000 units before 1921 alone. It was introduced in April 1907 at $3.00 and used 116 film, which gave a large 2½ × 4¼-inch negative. That "postcard" size was perfect for contact printing. The camera sold so well that it helped put the professional "Postcard Photographers" of early-day resorts like Coney Island and Atlantic City out of business.

The design changed a lot over its long life. Early models were built of card covered in leatherette, and that lasted until 1924, when a metal body replaced the card one. The camera opens by releasing two pivoted catches and pulling out the winding key. It has two reflecting finders and a metal film carrier. The lens is a simple meniscus, and the shutter is a rotary type.

The record shows a steady run of small improvements. In August 1909, eyelets were fitted to the lens and finder windows. The Model B arrived in October 1911 with internal changes to the lens board. In June 1917, the film tension springs moved from the center to the spool ends. That October, the case latches got rounded ends and milled edges. A metal nameplate was added to the back in January 1918, and a trigger guard followed in March 1920.

The biggest revision came in April 1924 with the Model C. It brought an aluminum body, tripod sockets, a hinged back with a spring latch, and a finer-grain leatherette covering. The aluminum model sold for $3.75 in the US. From 1920 to 1933, US models came in red, grey, green, brown, or blue as well as black, at $4.00. UK production ran from 1930 to 1936 in brown, blue, claret, and green, plus black. A knob replaced the winding key from 1932 onward. The black model was discontinued in 1935, and the blue model followed in 1936, which ended the line.

Contact printing gave way to enlarging negatives from smaller cameras. The No. 2A's large size became a drawback, and Kodak eventually retired the format. A Canadian-made model also existed, though documentation on it is limited.

All facts on this page trace to a single source (brownie-camera.com). No period reviews, market values, or maintenance information have turned up in the research.

Film: 116
Picture size: 2½ × 4¼ in
Lens: Meniscus
Shutter: Rotary
Introduced: April 1907
Discontinued: 1936
Original price: $3.00 (black); $3.75 (aluminum); $4.00 (color)
Production: over 2,100,000 before 1921