I remember visiting Kodak Park in Rochester in the late 60's . I was a kid fascinated with cameras and darkrooms . We started by everyone turning over any kind of lighter or matches. Got on a tour bus that kept us safe inside . Drove through part of the complex. One stop was the injection molding machines for Kodapak Instamatic cartridges, my young mind remembers a vast operation. I remember the guide telling us that Kodak reused the plastic from used cartridges that had been returned for processing. All the backing paper was processed for helping to fuel the power plants on the site. MY first camera was an Instamatic, had a wind up motor drive. My Dad fixed a K2 yellow filter to the lens and I shot Verichrome . I remember the smell of the flashcubes . So much fun! Every year in primary school we had a day we could bring a camera to school. I have 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade Instamatic photos of my chums.I'm collecting and falling in love with Instamatic (126) and Pocket Instamatic (110) prints from the 60s and 70s. First off, I love the square format (I shoot a lot of 6 x 6). Secondly, I love the era of my youth 60s and 70s and I feel a bit like an archaelogist pouring over these photos.
I do have some objectives in doing this. I want to see what social and cultural understanding might come through the photographs for one. I also want to see how photographic priorities might have changed. What did people value then versus now.
But also just enjoying the stories that are implied (imagined by me) in the photographs.
The Kodak Instamatic was a massive success for the company. You could say it was the iPhone of that era.
Incredible story! I bet those photos are amazing to see. So cool that you still have them.I remember visiting Kodak Park in Rochester in the late 60's . I was a kid fascinated with cameras and darkrooms . We started by everyone turning over any kind of lighter or matches. Got on a tour bus that kept us safe inside . Drove through part of the complex. One stop was the injection molding machines for Kodapak Instamatic cartridges, my young mind remembers a vast operation. I remember the guide telling us that Kodak reused the plastic from used cartridges that had been returned for processing. All the backing paper was processed for helping to fuel the power plants on the site. MY first camera was an Instamatic, had a wind up motor drive. My Dad fixed a K2 yellow filter to the lens and I shot Verichrome . I remember the smell of the flashcubes . So much fun! Every year in primary school we had a day we could bring a camera to school. I have 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade Instamatic photos of my chums.
I'll bet it's amazing. No one in my family was taking 110/126 slides. They did use Instamatics, but only print film. Sadly, most of them were tossed. I have some scans of the prints, but that's not the same as the real object.You would love my archive of my father's 110 Kodachrome slides!
If you were local, I could show them to you using my pocket carousel projectors!
I also have a bunch of 126 Kodachrome and (to a lesser degree) Ektachrome slides in that archive.
My father had a fairly high end Instamatic (a 504?) with a glass lens and exposure meter that was, if I remember correctly, manufactured by Kodak Germany.
He was the manager of the customer service department at a Kodak Canada lab. From time to time he also borrowed the Instamatic Reflex that his department had at hand.
Interspersed with all his slides are a few that I took - he encouraged me in photography from age 8 on.
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