Kodak No. 3 Brownie (c. 1908–1915)

Documentation on the Kodak No. 3 Brownie is scattered. What survives comes mostly from dealer listings and auction records, not period literature. The name is slippery too. It was applied to several related but different cameras, including a folding model and a later "Model B" box-type variant, and sources don't always agree on which one they're describing.

What seems clear is that Eastman Kodak introduced the No. 3 Brownie around 1908 and made it until roughly 1915, according to dealer Hemswell Antiques. It was a big camera. One seller described the No. 3 as "the largest and most impressive model in the Brownie series." The folding version was built from wood with metal fittings, covered in black leather, and fitted with red leather bellows. It took 124 roll film, which has been discontinued for decades, though adapters for using 120 film are available. The image size was a generous 3¼ × 4¼ inches, which gave postcard-size prints.

The record gets murkier from there. A separate "No. 3 Brownie Model B" is a leather-covered wood box camera. vintagefilmcamerashop.com dates it to roughly 1920-1926, and it also used 124 film. Another variant, the No. 3 Folding Brownie Model C, was introduced in 1905 and used 122 roll film instead, giving 3.25 × 5.25-inch negatives. These are different cameras sharing a family name, and the available sources don't cleanly separate them. A craigslist listing claims the No. 3 Brownie was "introduced by the Eastman Kodak Company in 1908," which is consistent with Hemswell's 1909-1915 production range for the folding model, but nothing independent backs it up.

No original retail price, lens specifications, shutter speeds, or aperture data have surfaced in the research. No period reviews or owner testimonials were found either. For collectors today, 124 film is no longer produced, and surviving examples are typically sold as untested or in "bargain" condition. One dealer listing notes the shutter may not work. Another mentions internal fungus in the lens. A used example at McBain Camera was listed at $45.99 CAD, reduced to $35.99, described as in "bargain" condition.

Known specs, such as they are:

Manufacturer: Eastman Kodak
Type: Early 1900s box / folding camera (sources differ by variant)
Film: 124 roll film (No. 3 Brownie and Model B); 122 roll film (Model C)
Image size: 3¼ × 4¼ inches (No. 3 Brownie); 3.25 × 5.25 inches (Model C)
Construction: Wood with metal fittings, black leather covering, red leather bellows (folding variant)
Production: c. 1908–1915 (No. 3 Brownie); c. 1920–1926 (Model B); 1905 introduction (Model C)

If you own one and can confirm details — lens markings, shutter types, or production dates — the archive would welcome the correction. The No. 3 Brownie clearly mattered to Kodak's early lineup, but the surviving record is thinner than the camera's reputation deserves.