Box Camera - Purpose

Purpose

The KODAK camera introduced in 1888 was the first "box" camera to become widely adopted by the public and its design became the archetype for box camera designs introduced by many different manufacturers. The use of flexible roll film meant that the cameras were light and portable and could be used without the encumbrance of tripods and the attendant difficulty of using glass photographic plates which were typical of earlier cameras. Before the introduction of the Kodak, photographers were responsible for making their own arrangements for the development and printing of their pictures. The first Kodak came pre-loaded with film and the customer returned the camera to Kodak for processing and to be reloaded with film for the customer. In 1900, a Yale plate box camera cost $2 ($52.70 in 2009 dollars ) and a Kodak rollfilm box sold for $1 ($26.40 in 2009 dollars )