History Of Brownie Starlet: The Iconic Camera's Evolution

The Kodak Brownie Starlet is a simple plastic point-and-shoot camera that was first introduced in July 1957 and discontinued in June 1962. It was one of the successful Star series of Brownies, featuring a moulded plastic body and an optical direct vision finder. The Starlet was designed by Arthur H. Crapsey and was one of the first cameras to use 127 film, which was previously introduced in 1912. The Brownie Starlet was manufactured in the US and France, with slight variations in the nameplates.

The Brownie Starlet was made from 1957 to 1962

The Brownie Starlet, a simple plastic point-and-shoot camera, was manufactured by Kodak from 1957 to 1962. It was the first of its kind in the Brownie Star line of cameras, which were all released in 1957. The Brownie Starlet was one of the successful "Star" series of Brownies.

The Brownie Starlet was introduced in July 1957 and discontinued in June 1962. It was manufactured in the US and France, with slight variations between the models produced in the two countries. The camera featured a moulded plastic body and an optical direct vision finder. It used 127 film and produced 4x4cm images. The lens was a Dakon with two apertures, and the shutter was rotary.

The Brownie Starlet was designed by Arthur H. Crapsey, who also designed the entire Brownie Star line. It was a simple and easy-to-use camera. To operate it, one simply needed to wind the film, frame the shot, and press the button.

The Brownie Starlet was part of a long line of Brownie cameras produced by Eastman Kodak. The first Brownie camera was released in 1900 and sold for $1. It brought photography to the masses, including women, children, and the working classes, who could now take pictures whenever and however they wanted. The Brownie camera was a huge success, selling 10 million units in just five years.

It was a simple plastic point-and-shoot camera

The Kodak Brownie Starlet was a simple plastic point-and-shoot camera. It was first introduced in July 1957 and was discontinued in June 1962. The Brownie Starlet was part of the "'Star' series of Brownies, which were very successful. Over 10 million Star series cameras were made from 1957, with versions continuing into the late 1960s. The original design was by Arthur H. Crapsey, who designed a bunch of other Kodaks from the 1930s through the 1960s.

The Brownie Starlet featured a moulded plastic body and an optical direct vision finder. It used 127 film, which was first introduced in 1912 for Kodak's Vest Pocket line of small folding cameras. The Starlet made four-centimetre square negatives. It had a single-element Dakon lens of f/8 or f/11, set in a rotary shutter that likely fired at 1/50 sec. The lens had two apertures, which could be changed between "colour" and "B&W" using a switch at the bottom of the front plate. The camera also had a prominent central viewfinder and an aluminium top plate, giving it the appearance of a TLR (twin-lens reflex) camera.

The Brownie Starlet was easy to use. You simply had to wind the film, frame the shot, and press the button. It supported a flash gun using a pin and screw flash contact. The US model of the Brownie Starlet was rebranded in 1961 as the Brownie Bullet II, which was identical except for a new faceplate and the removal of the flash contacts. The Brownie Starlet was also produced in France, with slight variations in the nameplates compared to the US version.

A different camera called the Brownie Starlet was made in the UK in 1953-4 for export to the US. This was a rebadged version of the Brownie 127.

It was one of the successful Star series of Brownies

The Brownie Starlet was a simple plastic fixed-focus camera made by Kodak starting in July 1957. It was one of the successful "Star" series of Brownies, with over 10 million cameras made from 1957 to 1962. The range continued into the late 1960s, with the Brownie Starlet itself being discontinued in June 1962. The original design was by Arthur H Crapsey. The Brownie Starlet, like the other cameras in the Star series, was based on a similar layout: the film spools and a light baffle were mounted on a floor, which carried the advancing knob and a latch; the rest of the camera dropped down over this floor/spool assembly.

The "star" name was applied to 127 film cameras, but there were similar models made for 620 film. Each model had various combinations of different viewfinder and flash arrangements—some built-in, some external, and some with no flash facility. Some models were available in different colours, although black and grey seem to be the most common. The Brownie Starlet featured a moulded plastic body and an optical direct vision finder. It could support a flash gun by using the pin and screw flash contacts. In 1961, US production of this camera rebranded it as the Brownie Bullet II camera, which was identical except for a new faceplate and the elimination of the pin and screw flash contacts.

The Brownie Starlet was also manufactured in other countries under different names and with slight variations. For example, the Brownie Starlet made in Australia featured a different nameplate from the US and French versions. The word "Brownie" was above the lens on the US version, while the French-made models had variations, including a red boxed Kodak logo on the left and on the right above the lens. The Australian version also had a unique nameplate. In Brazil, a similar camera to the Brownie Starlet was made called the Rio-400 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Rio de Janeiro.

The Brownie Starlet was made in the US, France, and Australia

The Brownie Starlet is a simple plastic point-and-shoot camera made by Kodak. The camera was in production from July 1957 to June 1962 and was manufactured in the US, France, and Australia. It was one of the successful "Star" series of Brownies. The Brownie Starlet was designed by Arthur H. Crapsey and featured a moulded plastic body and an optical direct vision finder. It could support a flash gun using a pin and screw flash contact.

The Brownie Starlet was introduced in the US in July 1957 and was discontinued in June 1962. During this time, over 10 million Star series cameras were produced, with versions continuing into the late 1960s. The US model featured the word "Brownie" above the lens. In 1961, US production of this camera was rebranded as the Brownie Bullet II, which was identical except for a new faceplate and the removal of the pin and screw flash contacts.

The Brownie Starlet was also manufactured in France, with slight variations from the US model. The French-made models had a red boxed Kodak logo on the left and the right above the lens, and the metal piece at the top of the camera had a slightly different shape. The Brownie Starlet was produced in France from July 1957 to June 1962.

In addition to the US and France, the Brownie Starlet was also made in Australia. However, specific details about the Australian version are not readily available.

The Kodak Brownie Starlet played a significant role in democratising photography. With its low price and ease of use, it enabled women, children, and the working classes to take pictures freely, shaping new forms of expression and community along the way.

The camera was designed by Arthur H. Crapsey

The Kodak Brownie Starlet is a simple plastic fixed-focus camera that was first introduced in July 1957 and discontinued in June 1962. It was one of the successful "Star" series of Brownies, with over 10 million Star series cameras made from 1957 onwards. The Brownie Starlet was designed by Arthur H. Crapsey, an influential camera designer who worked for Eastman Kodak. Crapsey joined Kodak as one of their first industrial designers in 1945 after serving in the US Air Force during World War II. He lost his legs during his military service and was invalided out of the Air Force.

Crapsey was responsible for the design of many Kodak cameras, including the entire Brownie Star line. He was granted patents for a large number of cameras between 1948 and 1958, showcasing his significant contributions to the field of camera design. The Brownie Starlet, in particular, featured a moulded plastic body and an optical direct vision finder. It supported a flash gun using pin and screw flash contacts. The camera was produced in the US and France, with slight variations in the nameplates. The US version had the word "Brownie" above the lens, while the French-made models featured a red boxed Kodak logo on the left and right above the lens.

Crapsey's designs played a crucial role in making photography accessible to a wider audience. The Brownie Starlet, with its simple design and affordable price of $6, allowed people from all walks of life to capture and preserve their memories. This democratisation of photography created new communities and forms of expression, empowering individuals to tell their stories through images. Crapsey's talent extended beyond still cameras, as he also designed the Instamatic M-6 cine camera in 1965.

In summary, the Kodak Brownie Starlet, introduced in 1957, was a product of Arthur H. Crapsey's innovative design. Crapsey's work at Kodak helped shape the world of photography, making it more inclusive and accessible to all. His designs, including the Brownie Starlet, left a lasting impact on how we capture and share our moments and experiences.

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