a Kodak Folder from the first part of the 20th century – lot 336.
Toronto. … as Kenny Rogers once sang. A step up in camera design was the so-called folder popular around 1930-1950. Between uses, the camera could be easily collapsed for the pocket. The focussing bellows collapsed into the camera body along with the lens, viewfinder, and shutter. The base plate closed off the front of the camera to seal it from dust and dirt. Struts closed the camera and a ‘hidden’ button opened it.
My dad bought such a camera – a Kodak Junior six-20 – around the time I was born. It was better than a box camera as the focus, aperture, and shutter could all be adjusted as necessary. Dad’s camera, carefully returned to its box and placed in a drawer of the dining room buffet, remains in like-new condition today.
While it looked much like the six-16 shown here (lot 336), it used the smaller size roll film and prints were usually enlarged a bit whereas the 616 roll film could be developed and contact printed to view or use on postcards.
The lot number refers to a lot in our first 2026 event, the February 15, 2026 auction (IMPORTANT: OUR AUCTION WAS RESCHEDULED TO FEB 15th DUE TO BAD WEATHER). Come out and join in the fun. You may even bid on something to add to your collection or your user gear!
Note: The post title is from Kenny Rogers’ epic 1978 song about the gambler. This is a song and singer my wife and I enjoyed back in the 1970s/80s.
