Kodak Six-20 Portrait Brownie (1936–1940)
The Six-20 Portrait Brownie is a sturdy box camera from the mid-1930s, produced in the UK from 1936 to 1940. The body is metal covered in leatherette, with nickel-plated trim and an Art Deco front bezel. A matching side bezel holds the shutter lever and controls. A horizontally lined band sits to the left of the lens. It's almost identical to the Kodak Brownie Senior.
The interesting part is the built-in portrait lens. A pull-out tab slides it into place for close-up work between 4 and 6 feet. Without it, the camera focuses from 6 feet to infinity. The lens is a meniscus, fixed at f/11, with a focal length of 95mm. The shutter is an Eastman rotary with B and I (1/45 sec) settings. It shoots 620 roll film, producing eight 2¼ × 3¼-inch pictures, and has two reflecting brilliant finders. The camera measures 84 × 105 × 105 mm and weighs 475g. There's no tripod mount, so for sharp shots at 1/45 sec, brace the camera against something solid or hold it firmly against your body.
The Science Museum Group holds an example in its collection. It describes the camera as a "box camera for 620 rollfilm 2.25x3.25 inches" with a simple lens and flipflop rotary shutter. The record is otherwise thin - no original price, production numbers, or period reviews have surfaced. What is documented is the design: chrome and black enamel front lens bezel, chrome winder, rear door latch, strap posts, and finder surrounds, plus a genuine leather handle and a leatherette film door hinge. It's usable today if you re-spool 120 film onto 620 spools. 120 won't fit directly and will jam.
Film: 620 rollfilm, 8 exposures
Picture size: 2¼ × 3¼ in
Lens: Meniscus f/11, 95mm, fixed focus
Portrait lens: Pull-out slide for 4–6 ft
Shutter: Eastman rotary, B and I (1/45 sec)
Construction: Metal body, leatherette covered
Size: 84 × 105 × 105 mm; 475g
Made in UK, 1936–1940
Similar items on eBay
No exact Kodak Six-20 Portrait Brownie listings are live right now — these searches show current Kodak and similar vintage camera gear on eBay:
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.