# Trying to identify and old box camera



## BraunTJ (Aug 30, 2022)

Hello, I am new to this forum, but I am a Conservator working at the Minnesota Historical Society.  

I am a Conservator at the Minnesota Historical Society.  I was hoping you could help me to identify an old box camera.  

In 1969 we received a donation of a nice collection of about 25 early cameras from a locally well-known Minnesota photographer known as John Runk, who passed away in 1964.  Recently we have been improving the cataloging information on this small collection, which previously was quite poor; many of the cameras were simply identified as a "camera", with no indication of brand, dates of manufacture, film format, and etc.  Since many of these cameras were marked with manufacturer's information, I have been able to fairly readily identify and roughly date most of them using resources found on the internet.  For the most part these cameras were quite common early Kodak box cameras and folding cameras, but there were a few more unusual and rare cameras, such as a Conley Camera Company Model II (made in Rochester, MN), a Cycle Poco Model No. 1, and a Burke & James Inc. Rexoette.  

I'm down to the last camera to be unidentified, and this one has really stumped me.  My best guess at this point is that it might be an early Ansco camera, but I have not been able to find a model of theirs that matches this camera.  I have attached several pictures which should illustrate the camera quite well.  I can also tell you that it has a small red clear photo-frame number window, and also a mechanical frame-counter (which seemed to use small holes punched in the film roll to count exposures 1-12).  I believe the camera is capable of holding a roll of Kodak 116 film (or equivalent) and it makes negatives that are 2.5 x. 4.25 inches in size.  

There are a few marks seen on this camera:  There is one spool in it that was an Eastman Kodak spool, but I know that that probably is not the same as the camera's manufacturer.  The lens was made by Bausch & Lomb and appears capable of apertures between f11 and f64, and includes settings for T, B, and I. The camera has a stamped serial number of 951.  It also has two identical numbers written in graphite (451), on each of the two parts that comprise this camera when it is opened (I am assuming these were numbers to keep track of the two parts while they were assembled).  Other than the marks described above, I do not see any other manufacturer's marks.  There appears to be an owner's identification mark also written in graphite, which appears to read: "Edna Kahlert 2491 Mithan", though I don't suppose that will be of any use to you.

The face hinges open on a leather hinge, and is pulled open by a small leather pull-tab.  I have made a couple of small repairs to the camera, specifically to the leather pull-tab, and also to the leather hinge on the face.  

I am not really interested in the monetary value of this camera as it will always be part of our collections, though I would probably make note of it, for what it is worth.  What we would really like to know  is who the manufacturer was, and also the general dates of manufacture, if possible.  Any assistance you can provide me would be much appreciated.  Thanks and take care, Tom Braun


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## BraunTJ (Aug 30, 2022)

Ooops, I put in images that were too big.  These are smaller.


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## compur (Aug 31, 2022)

Looks very similar to a Blair Weno Hawkeye:






Blair was purchased by Kodak and continued selling their models with a Kodak label on them. The cameras had a round badge with either the Blair name or Kodak/Blair names. If your camera is a Blair, the badge may have fallen off.


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## BraunTJ (Aug 31, 2022)

compur said:


> Looks very similar to a Blair Weno Hawkeye:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you so much!  I think you hit the nail on the head!  Take care


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