Kodak No. 3A Folding Hawk-Eye Model 3
Documentation on the Kodak No. 3A Folding Hawk-Eye Model 3 is thin. The "3A Folding Hawk-Eye" name covered a small family of related but distinct cameras (Models 1, 2, B, and a Hawk-Eye Special all appear in period records), which muddies things further. This page covers only the Model 3, and almost nothing is firmly established about it.
Here is what the record does show. It's a folding rollfilm camera from Eastman Kodak, and one owner dates their example to approximately 1912. It takes 122 film, which gives 3.25 × 5.5 inch exposures. That's a generous postcard-sized negative, typical of Kodak's 3A line. A Wikimedia Commons file description notes the finish as black. One Flickr user reported owning a working example in a thread about oldest operational cameras, so at least one has survived in functional condition for over a century.
Past those few facts, the record goes quiet. No lens specifications, shutter details, dimensions, or original price have surfaced. No period reviews or formal reception exist in the sources. The collector market shows occasional listings, an antique example with case and one fitted with a custom oak wood housing, but prices vary widely and condition reports are inconsistent.
Known specs, such as they are:
- Folding rollfilm camera
- Film: 122, 3.25 × 5.5 inches
- Finish: black
- Approximate date: c. 1912 (single owner estimate)
If you own one of these and can add anything, such as lens markings, shutter types seen, or production years, the archive would welcome the correction.
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