Exploring what makes photography valuable

Last November my best friend (Best Buddy Chris as he would say), a history teacher, gave me an almost 80-year-old camera as a present for serving as the best man during his wedding. I would have done it without any presents but the camera made it all that much more fun, tying in his love of history with my love for photography. (I know, cheesy but we’ve known each other since second-grade. That’s a good long time.)

The camera is an original No.1-A Autographic Kodak Jr. camera. The camera was designed to take 116 sized autographic film, developed by Kodak in 1914 according to Wikipedia. A small window on the back of the camera allows photographers to write in the margin of the film at the time of exposure and then read the notes next to each image after the film is developed.

Size 116 film is no longer produced but the morning of his wedding I went searching around Tucson, Ariz. and happened across an old camera shop that had two rolls, more than 30-years expiried, sealed in original boxes. I bought one for $10 thinking maybe the film will still produce something, probably not. Got back to the car and ran in to buy the second roll as well after I realized I might never come across this film easily again. (I would also have two spools to try and roll another type of film onto for use inside the same camera later.)

Six months later I finally found the means to develop the first, and only roll I’ve shot with the camera. Whitman College senior Nick Matisse offered to help me develop the film in one of the college’s darkrooms.

The film lasted better than I would have ever expected. A few are hard to believe actually. Only adjusted slightly for contrast. I’m hoping to have higher resolution scans made at some point down the road.

Here are a few scans of the negatives. I left the edges of the negatives visible because on film this old they tell part of the story too. Some sections are not straight, others slightly exposed to light at some point:

A little accidental double exposure. (Hey, it’s kinda lame, I know, but this was the first time I’ve had to remember to wind film in 10-years.) Oh, and everyone say hi to my wife Maggi.

And of course I took a few photos with the camera during the wedding. I really wanted this frame to turn out for them, especially since I decided to leave it in fate’s hands and not shoot a digital version as a back-up for this shot. As it should be, the added pressure of no back-ups or duplication or chimping on the back of the camera. And the satisfaction knowing it all turned out.