Vintage Kodak Vigilant Junior Six-20 Camera

I'm just smitten... What a beautiful and solid camera.

We're all familiar with Kodak and their influence on modern photography. It was George Eastman who released the first camera, called the 'Kodak,' in 1888. For a relatively cheap $25, Eastman would send you a pre-sealed simple box camera with 100 exposures. You would send the camera back to him when you were done and he would develop them for you. The idea and company were such a resounding success that, by 1905, a full one-third of Americans owned a Kodak Brownie camera. The Eastman Kodak company was almost solely responsible for the first pictures taken of far-flung lands and the ravages of war. Their influence on photography is simply immeasurable.
This wonderful little camera was released in 1940, with this piece built in Toronto. This was a tremulous time. War was looming throughout Europe and Asia and it was infinitely important that photography record the events unfolding around the world. Kodak released this and it's big brother, the Vigilant Six-16, to great fanfare. They were simple, easy to use and remarkably solid. The Six-20 was affordable and offered beautiful album-sized pictures (2 1/4" x 3 1/4") for any amateur photographer. The simplicity and popularity was such that Kodak also released the Junior models, like this one, for those who could perhaps not afford the luxury of more expensive models. They offered virtually identical options, but with a simpler lens and shutter. It was so popular and so solid that it remained on the market, unaltered, for 8 years.
When it comes to build quality, it's no wonder Kodak was so popular and stood the test of time - this piece is remarkably solid! Everything works perfectly. The shutter, the aperture and all the buttons and catches move and slide smoothly and accurately. The baffle is clean and solid with no pinprick holes or tears. The exterior case is also near-perfect. I'm exceedingly impressed by the condition and operation of this piece. Just grab some Kodak 620 film (still widely available) and you're ready to go!

Truly a wonderful addition to the vintage photographer's collection or a wonderful first piece to get your feet wet!

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