The Fellsphoto Classic Gallery

620 Brownie Model D from 1953-57

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Not my camera but my father's. Bought as a present for him by my mother in 1956, she always thought it a good camera because she 'paid a lot of money for it'. Photography was a luxury (along with cars and just about everything else we take for granted now) and was subject to 25% Purchase Tax, so even a simple box camera was expensive. Any pictures taken with it by me are generally because I was told to so that he could be in the picture! This is a chemist shop (drug store) display card with camera. It sold on ebay 12th Dec 2010 for £93.88. Taking 46/5 as the 1956 price, the relative 2009 value would be £43.20 compared to RPI; £111 when compared to average earnings. She did indeed pay a lot of  money for it.

1957  ~  the family en route to Lake Simcoe in our '51 Pontiac four door sedan

the restored photograph

1958  ~  Dunkirk on Lake Erie, 40 miles west of Buffalo, NY

(photo by my father, not me, but it's such a good one I felt it should be included here)

as can be seen, the camera's menicus lens produces considerable vignetting

the restored photograph