Brownie No.2 camera

LJR

LJR

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Lloyd
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A visit to my mother's house recently resulted in her casually mentioning that she had a 'Box Brownie' camera which used to belong to my grandmother when she was 14. Today I actually got my hands on it.

Upon looking at the camera the first thing I noticed is that it has a half-used film in it! Now I have no idea if that film is going to be any good at all to get developed but I'm at least going to try. I would say it was last used around 1930's. However I don't know how to go about removing the film and I'm concerned that I will expose the film to light and destroy it. Can anyone advise on how to wind the film back and remove from the camera?

This is the camera (not the actual one but identical) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Brownie2_overview.jpg
 
Try sending the film to 'process c-22' as they specialise in developing old films with outdated processes and types.

http://processc22.webs.com/

Those cameras take 127 film which is still made in limited quantites so if you do manage to get the film out and processed theres no reason why you could not have a go with it as well.
 
you can also re-spool your own 35mm film back on to the 127 spools, if you ask for them back !
 
That's almost identical to my Hawkeye Model B (my first camera which I still have, I posted about it a couple of years ago here).

Sorry but it's been so long since I last used it that I can't remember if you wind the film back or leave it on the other spool.... but to get it open you have to pull out the winder which unlocks the back which then slides off, preferably in a blacked out room!
 
Download the manual here. When I was a child I remember quite a few people still had these and I occasionally used one myself. However I felt very superior with my Brownie 127 which was black and shiny and had an eye-level viewfinder! I was only 9 at the time but it was the start of a lifelong love affair with photography....
 
I have an Identical one bar the winder that was my Grandads as well but I cut my teeth on it when I was a toddler, I'm 50 now.

The camera takes 120 roll film, when you get to the end there is no winding back. The paper backing on the film winds over the last of the film and you used to stick it down with a little tab.

Chances are that if the film was left in the camera and the camera wasn't in it's brown case then the film may be fogged. I used to stick a plaster over the little red window on the back to stop the light getting in as the red window isn't really light proof.

I would still waste a bit of developer and fix on it though just to find out if there's anything on it.

We recently came accross some envelopes that where my late fathers, in them are over 200 celluloid 120 frames that have pictures on of his boytime days, he was born in 1922. They are fascinating. :D
 
My mother had something very similar when I was a kid. I think she bought it just before the war. It had a brown canvas case, and I'm pretty sure it took 620 film. I've no idea what happened to it.

I would definitely try to unload the camera and see if it's possible to get any images from the film. One suggestion. Get someone to open it in a darkroom, just in case anything breaks when you try to wind it on, or you're not sure all the film has been taken up by the spool.
 
Thanks everyone. Actually it's a clone of a Brownie and is in fact a Rex Camera. I've found info that I needed and for the most part it's virtually the same as the Brownie.

Thanks again!!!
 
What a wonderful find. Worth paying out whatever is needed to get the film developed for that piece of family history.
 
Am I the only one that thinks Brownie No. 2 is a crap name for a camera?

:D
 
cowasaki said:
What a wonderful find. Worth paying out whatever is needed to get the film developed for that piece of family history.
Click to expand...
Totally agree! I've removed the film and sealed it and have sent a mail to processc2.co.uk recommended by s162216. Let's see what I get.
 
LJR said:
Totally agree! I've removed the film and sealed it and have sent a mail to processc2.co.uk recommended by s162216. Let's see what I get.
Click to expand...

From what I've heard they are very good at what they do - on their site theres actually some pictures from a 1930's Dufaycolor roll that they were able to successfully develop a few years ago and they look quite good considering their age. Its a pity that the only sort of film they can't rescue properly is Kodachrome in any sort except in black and white as the dyes are no longer around. However they are apparently experimenting to see if they can find suitable alternatives.
 
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