Photography - Overview
The millions of photographs in the Museum's collections compose a vast mosaic of the nation's history. Photographs accompany most artifact collections. Thousands of images document engineering projects, for example, and more record the steel, petroleum, and railroad industries.
Some 150,000 images capture the history, art, and science of photography. Nineteenth-century photography, from its initial development by W. H. F. Talbot and Louis Daguerre, is especially well represented and includes cased images, paper photographs, and apparatus. Glass stereographs and news-service negatives by the Underwood & Underwood firm document life in America between the 1890s and the 1930s. The history of amateur photography and photojournalism are preserved here, along with the work of 20th-century masters such as Richard Avedon and Edward Weston. Thousands of cameras and other equipment represent the technical and business side of the field.
"Photography - Overview" showing 18 items.
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Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5 Press Camera
- Description
- Graflex cameras, made by the Folmer Schwing Company of Rochester, New York (later purchased by Eastman Kodak) were the preferred cameras of photojournalists and wartime correspondents for much of the early to mid-twentieth century. Their sturdy handheld construction adapted well for news and sports photography. The U.S. Department of the Army even commissioned combat-green versions of the Graflex cameras for use by military photographers in World War II and Korea. This popular Speed Graphic 4x5 inch film press camera was produced in the 1940s.
- From its invention in 1839, the camera has evolved to fit many needs, from aerial to underwater photography and everything in between. Cameras allow both amateur and professional photographers to capture the world around us. The Smithsonian’s historic camera collection includes rare and unique examples as well as popular models.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1940s
- maker
- Graflex, Inc.
- ID Number
- 1978.0234.01
- catalog number
- 1978.0234.01
- accession number
- 1978.0234
- catalog number
- 78.001
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Kodak Baby Brownie Special Camera
- Description
- Popular from the 1939 World’s Fair into the 1950s, the Kodak Baby Brownie Special was a small black camera made of bakelite, with white shutter button and winding knob and featuring a braided strap. With a rigid view finder and focus-free lens, it produced eight 3¼ x 3 inch photographs from 127 film.
- From its invention in 1839, the camera has evolved to fit many needs, from aerial to underwater photography and everything in between. Cameras allow both amateur and professional photographers to capture the world around us. The Smithsonian’s historic camera collection includes rare and unique examples as well as popular models.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1950s
- maker
- Eastman Kodak Company
- ID Number
- 1979.0007.04
- catalog number
- 1979.0007.04
- accession number
- 1979.0007
- catalog number
- 79.007.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
ANSCO Pioneer Camera
- Description
- In the 1970s the GAF Corporation donated their historic camera collection to the Smithsonian. GAF was a film-based photographic supplies company which had a long history of purchasing other photographic business. GAF was the successor to the German based AGFA ASNCO and had U.S. headquarters in Binghamton, New York. Through AGFA ANSCO the company also held historic early photographic equipment from the important American camera makers Anthony and Scovill. This ANSCO Pioneer plastic and metal camera was produced from 1947-1953 and used 616 film.
- From its invention in 1839, the camera has evolved to fit many needs, from aerial to underwater photography and everything in between. Cameras allow both amateur and professional photographers to capture the world around us. The Smithsonian’s historic camera collection includes rare and unique examples of equipment, and popular models, related to the history of the science, technology, and art of photography.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1947-1953
- maker
- Ansco
- ID Number
- 1982.0390.125.1
- catalog number
- 1982.0390.125.1
- accession number
- 1982.0390
- catalog number
- 82.390.125.1
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
ANSCO Shur Shot Camera
- Description
- In the 1970s the GAF Corporation donated their historic camera collection to the Smithsonian. GAF was a film based photographic supplies company which had a long history of purchasing other photographic business. GAF was the successor to the German based AGFA ASNCO and had U.S. headquarters in Binghamton, New York. Through AGFA ANSCO the company also held historic early photographic equipment from the important American camera makers Anthony and Scovill. This ANSCO Shur Shot camera was possibly the most popular of their box cameras, produced about 1948. It was a basic box camera with a vertically stripped aluminum front and used 120 film.
- From its invention in 1839, the camera has evolved to fit many needs, from aerial to underwater photography and everything in between. Cameras allow both amateur and professional photographers to capture the world around us. The Smithsonian’s historic camera collection includes rare and unique examples of equipment, and popular models, related to the history of the science, technology, and art of photography.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1948
- maker
- Ansco
- ID Number
- 1982.0390.166
- catalog number
- 1982.0390.166
- accession number
- 1982.0390
- catalog number
- 82.390.166
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Vest Pocket Autographic Kodak Camera
- Description
- Kodak Vest Pocket cameras were first introduced in 1914 for producing postcards. On the Autographic models, a stylus stored at the back of the camera allowed for marking negatives with information, dates, or titles. These cameras remained popular for decades, including many models marketed to soldiers and families for capturing memories during the World War I and II eras.
- From its invention in 1839, the camera has evolved to fit many needs, from aerial to underwater photography and everything in between. Cameras allow both amateur and professional photographers to capture the world around us. The Smithsonian’s historic camera collection includes rare and unique examples of equipment, and popular models, related to the history of the science, technology, and art of photography.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1910s
- maker
- Eastman Kodak Company
- ID Number
- 1983.0066.01
- catalog number
- 1983.0066.01
- accession number
- 1983.0066
- catalog number
- 83.066
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Kodak Petite Camera
- Description
- Since Kodak introduced the Brownie in 1900, a variety of easy-to-use cameras have been marketed, especially to women. The Kodak Petite from 1935, part of the Kodak Coquette set, came with a matching compact and lipstick case in a variety of color choices so that one might use it as an accessory to fashionable outfits.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1935
- maker
- Eastman Kodak Company
- ID Number
- 1995.0046.01
- catalog number
- 1995.0046.01
- accession number
- 1995.0046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Kodak Disc 4000
- Description
- The Kodak Disc 4000 camera was introduced in the 1980s, incorporating a new version of the popular disc format film cartridges used in 110 cameras. A round disc was prepared with fifteen 8x10mm negatives for drop-in camera loading. Unfortunately, since the negatives were so small, most printed images were soft focus and unsatisfactory in quality. Eastman Kodak continued production of the camera until 1998, when their new Advanced Photo System process and Advantix cameras had been introduced to the market.
- From its invention in 1839, the camera has evolved to fit many needs, from aerial to underwater photography and everything in between. Cameras allow both amateur and professional photographers to capture the world around us. The Smithsonian’s historic camera collection includes rare and unique examples of equipment, and popular models, related to the history of the science, technology, and art of photography.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1980s
- maker
- Eastman Kodak Company
- ID Number
- 1997.0321.10
- accession number
- 1997.0321
- catalog number
- 1997.0321.10
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Polaroid Big Swinger 3000 Camera
- Description
- In 1947, Edwin H. Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation, first demonstrated his instant photographic process. Years of research and development culminated in the Polaroid Land camera Model 95 for sale to the general public in 1948. It held eight 3 ¼ x 4 ¼” sepia-toned images, which begin processing in the camera and finish developing once pulled from the camera. Prints were ready for the user within sixty seconds. Over the next 50 years, continued advances in Polaroid technology produced a wide-variety of cameras and film, polarizing lenses, and 3-D products sold in the United States and around the world.
- Polaroid cameras are popular among professional and amateur photographers as well as artists, but certain cameras are marketed to specific groups, such as young adults and teenagers. The low-cost Swinger camera and Type 20C black and white film were introduced in 1965, just two years after Polaroid perfected instant color film. Prize-winning ad campaigns using slogans such as “$19.95 swings it” were effective. The Swinger gained popularity with young adults and later models like the Polaroid Big Swinger 3000 were produced. Thirty years later the Joycam is the Polaroid camera marketed for this same age group.
- Polaroid’s innovative cameras, both instant film and digital, and related products continue to appear in stores and online as the corporation goes through bankruptcy. Digital photography and declining sales make uncertain the company’s future.
- From its invention in 1839, the camera has evolved to fit many needs, from aerial to underwater photography and everything in between. Cameras allow both amateur and professional photographers to capture the world around us. The Smithsonian’s historic camera collection includes rare and unique examples of equipment, and popular models, related to the history of the science, technology, and art of photography.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1960s
- maker
- Polaroid Corporation
- ID Number
- 2001.0286.02
- accession number
- 2001.0286
- catalog number
- 2001.0286.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Kodak Advantix T700 Camera
- Description
- The Kodak Advantix T700 camera is an example of the company’s Advanced Photo System compact automatic camera introduced in the 1990s and intended primarily for amateur photographers. Film for the camera was factory-loaded in a cassette for easy drop-in loading. Users could select from three film sizes before pressing the shutter to produce images in 4 x 6”, 4 x 7”, or 4 x 11” panoramic format. Once processed for printing, the negative film was returned to the cassette and an index print of all images made for the owner’s future reference in making copy prints.
- From its invention in 1839, the camera has evolved to fit many needs, from aerial to underwater photography and everything in between. Cameras allow both amateur and professional photographers to capture the world around us. The Smithsonian’s historic camera collection includes rare and unique examples of equipment, and popular models, related to the history of the science, technology, and art of photography.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- ca 1990s
- maker
- Eastman Kodak Company
- ID Number
- 2005.0143.014
- accession number
- 2005.0143
- catalog number
- 2005.0143.014
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Howard ankle camera
- Description
- Press cameras were forbidden from the prison execution chamber in Ossining, New York, where Ruth Snyder was to be electrocuted on January 12, 1928, for the murder of her husband. Editors at the New York Daily News believed it their duty to have both a journalist and photographer cover this event. Since all witnesses to the execution would be searched and frisked upon entry to the chamber, the newspaper planned their coverage well in advance.
- One month before Snyder's execution, editors in New York enlisted the help of Chicago Tribune photographer Thomas Howard to prepare for their news coverage. Howard, who would not be recognized by New York prison officials, was brought to New York a month before the execution. He stayed in a hotel practising making exposures with this modifyed miniature plate camera. He strapped the camera to his ankle with a long cable release run up his trouser leg into his pants pocket. He lifted the pant leg to take a photograph.
- Howard gained entry to witness Snyder's electrocution, achieving a slightly blurred image documenting the horror of the scene. The New York Daily News donated the camera to the Smithsonian in 1963.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- user
- Howard, Tom
- associated institution
- New York Daily News
- maker
- Leica
- ID Number
- PG*007107
- accession number
- 250517
- catalog number
- 7107
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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