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Multi-Lens Cameras | View Cameras | Self-Casing Cameras | Solid Body Cameras | References & Advertisements
Copyright ©2011 by Rob Niederman - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
December Update: Okay, I'm late in updating the website with great cameras but finally got around to a
post this month - added a very rare Horsman Eclipse No.33. This is the first time that all Eclipse view
cameras have been shown together. The No.33 is more sophisticated than the primitive No.2 and No.3 and
has a fascinating patent for a 'universal front' that makes this a distinctive camera.
Overwhelming Demand! - The Digitized Kodak Catalog Project: 1886 to 1941 on DVD
Most camera collectors at some point in their collecting careers pass through a Kodak phase - some never come out of it. And if there ever was one name that came to be associated with both cameras and collecting, it was Kodak.
One of the nice things about collecting Kodak is that the product line is pretty well known, and because the company produced annual catalogs for many years, collectors can be reasonably sure of what they're looking at, when it was made, the variations and so on - presuming that they have access to either the appropriate catalog, or a number of the many books which document Kodak, each to some greater or lesser extent.
But what would be really nice would be to have a complete set of Kodak catalogs in an easily accessible form and readily available. And since the advent of portable computing devices (PC, Macintosh, etc.) that's been possible - except for the difficulty of assembling a complete set of Kodak catalogs in one spot and then scanning them and making the results available.
The idea of digitizing a complete set of Kodak catalogs has kicked around the collecting community for many years. It's been proposed on a number of online forums, during meetings of various photohistory groups, and for years there have been many incomplete "Kodak CDs" on eBay but at best, they only contained a few catalogs - whatever the owner had available. But assembling a complete set of catalogs, then scanning and processing up to 4,000 pages, was a daunting task - if not completely overwhelming - and nothing ever came of it.
Until now.
In early 2010, the idea came up again, but this time the collecting community got lucky. A couple of us - working with a premier Kodak collector and several other contributors who were willing to loan their catalogs to this project – started scanning catalogs last year. By about November 2010, we had scanned everything we needed and the primary catalogs from 1886 to 1941 were digitized, reassembled as image folders, converted to the universally accepted PDF format, and then converted into a compilation of individually searchable PDFs which could also be searched globally as a collection. And finally, this summer the front end was completed, everything was burned onto a DVD and we started testing. The project is now ready for distribution.
Overwhelming Demand! - The Digitized Kodak Catalog Project: 1886 to 1941 on DVD
Most camera collectors at some point in their collecting careers pass through a Kodak phase - some never come out of it. And if there ever was one name that came to be associated with both cameras and collecting, it was Kodak.
One of the nice things about collecting Kodak is that the product line is pretty well known, and because the company produced annual catalogs for many years, collectors can be reasonably sure of what they're looking at, when it was made, the variations and so on - presuming that they have access to either the appropriate catalog, or a number of the many books which document Kodak, each to some greater or lesser extent.
But what would be really nice would be to have a complete set of Kodak catalogs in an easily accessible form and readily available. And since the advent of portable computing devices (PC, Macintosh, etc.) that's been possible - except for the difficulty of assembling a complete set of Kodak catalogs in one spot and then scanning them and making the results available.
The idea of digitizing a complete set of Kodak catalogs has kicked around the collecting community for many years. It's been proposed on a number of online forums, during meetings of various photohistory groups, and for years there have been many incomplete "Kodak CDs" on eBay but at best, they only contained a few catalogs - whatever the owner had available. But assembling a complete set of catalogs, then scanning and processing up to 4,000 pages, was a daunting task - if not completely overwhelming - and nothing ever came of it.
Until now.
In early 2010, the idea came up again, but this time the collecting community got lucky. A couple of us - working with a premier Kodak collector and several other contributors who were willing to loan their catalogs to this project – started scanning catalogs last year. By about November 2010, we had scanned everything we needed and the primary catalogs from 1886 to 1941 were digitized, reassembled as image folders, converted to the universally accepted PDF format, and then converted into a compilation of individually searchable PDFs which could also be searched globally as a collection. And finally, this summer the front end was completed, everything was burned onto a DVD and we started testing. The project is now ready for distribution.
February 2011
Kozy Camera
Kozy Camera
So ... who is this project for? The specialist collector; the enthusiast; and those who desire to learn more
about Kodak cameras in general - everything from common to rarely seen. We also hope this project
serves as a source of easily accessible information for a new generation of collectors and educators that
found vintage camera collecting a bit too mysterious.
A limited number of DVDs are now available, essentially for the cost of the disc plus shipping. Each DVD is
printed with the label shown above and includes 67 high-resolution Kodak catalogs (PDF) spanning 1886 to
1941, an easy to launch webpage to access the catalogs, and instructions on how to run keyword
searches against the complete 67 catalog library!
So what about our hard work? It's a gift to the current and future collecting community. However, please accept one concession we made out of respect to the contributors. We've secured the PDFs to prevent printing and modifications as well as to encourage use of this as an eco-friendly, paperless tool. This also helps us manage the project and keep variations under control. If there is a need to print pages, a 'screen print' of the image on the monitor works really well!
..
• Payment Options (updated 22 Feb 2012): We prefer PayPal only to: digitized.kcp@gmail.com
If you don't have a PayPal account, please contact us and we will give you directions for paying with a credit card or Money Order.
• Price (please note that the postal service raised their prices): Each DVD is $7.95 but there is a limit of two (2) DVDs per order. You don't need to ask us for an invoice - just figure out your total and PayPal us that amount. We do encourage you to include a note telling us what you want - so we can check your math:
..
...- DVD Prices (plus shipping):
.........One (1) DVD: $7.95
.........Two (2) DVDs: $15.90
..
...- Domestic shipping anywhere in the U.S:
.........1 or 2 DVDs by First Class: add $3.00
.........1 or 2 DVDs by Priority Mail: add $7.00
..
...- International shipping:
.........1 or 2 DVDs by 1st Class International: add $6.00
.........1 or 2 DVDs by Priority International: add $17.00
..
Questions? Please contact us at: digitized.kcp@gmail.com
2012 Show Schedule: It's that time again and thanks to everyone sending me 2012 show info for my International Show Schedule. As always, send me info about a show and it will be added.
Next Camera? I haven't decided yet but stay tuned for something in February 2012!
Be sure to check back for updated postings and drop an e-mail if you have questions about pre-1900 wood cameras (and their value) or just want to show off a newly found item. If there is a wood camera that you would like to have identified, please provide as many details as possible AND include an image because it's impossible to identify a camera simply from a description!
Don't forget to check Rob's Most Wanted List for cameras I am looking to add to the collection. Thanks for stopping by and I'm already ramping up to see what 2012 has in store.
So what about our hard work? It's a gift to the current and future collecting community. However, please accept one concession we made out of respect to the contributors. We've secured the PDFs to prevent printing and modifications as well as to encourage use of this as an eco-friendly, paperless tool. This also helps us manage the project and keep variations under control. If there is a need to print pages, a 'screen print' of the image on the monitor works really well!
..
• Payment Options (updated 22 Feb 2012): We prefer PayPal only to: digitized.kcp@gmail.com
If you don't have a PayPal account, please contact us and we will give you directions for paying with a credit card or Money Order.
• Price (please note that the postal service raised their prices): Each DVD is $7.95 but there is a limit of two (2) DVDs per order. You don't need to ask us for an invoice - just figure out your total and PayPal us that amount. We do encourage you to include a note telling us what you want - so we can check your math:
..
...- DVD Prices (plus shipping):
.........One (1) DVD: $7.95
.........Two (2) DVDs: $15.90
..
...- Domestic shipping anywhere in the U.S:
.........1 or 2 DVDs by First Class: add $3.00
.........1 or 2 DVDs by Priority Mail: add $7.00
..
...- International shipping:
.........1 or 2 DVDs by 1st Class International: add $6.00
.........1 or 2 DVDs by Priority International: add $17.00
..
Questions? Please contact us at: digitized.kcp@gmail.com
2012 Show Schedule: It's that time again and thanks to everyone sending me 2012 show info for my International Show Schedule. As always, send me info about a show and it will be added.
Next Camera? I haven't decided yet but stay tuned for something in February 2012!
Be sure to check back for updated postings and drop an e-mail if you have questions about pre-1900 wood cameras (and their value) or just want to show off a newly found item. If there is a wood camera that you would like to have identified, please provide as many details as possible AND include an image because it's impossible to identify a camera simply from a description!
Don't forget to check Rob's Most Wanted List for cameras I am looking to add to the collection. Thanks for stopping by and I'm already ramping up to see what 2012 has in store.
September 2011
Catalog Library
Catalog Library
December 2011
Horsman Cameras
Horsman Cameras