The
last 150 years has seen great advancement in photographic technology,
from the first camera obscura to the latest digital wonders. The Camera
Heritage Museum in Staunton, Virginia, offers visitors a look at the
full range of camera and technology throughout the history of
photography.
Showcasing over 7,000 cameras, as well as accessories and photographs,
the museum is one of the most complete in the country. The camera museum
is housed in what was known for 70 years as the Camera and Palette Inc.
in Staunton, VA.
None
of these photographic advancements would not have been possible without
the Industrial Revolution. During this time, many camera manufacturers
revealed the creative efforts that went into their cameras. Through
museum exhibits, visitors will also see the rise and fall of industrial
giants like Eastman Kodak from its startup as a single man's dream to
its place as one of the most well known names on the New York stock
exchange.
Cameras
weren't just the domain of camera companies. Visitors will discover a
disc camera developed by the American Safety Razor Company and an
amazingly complex miniature camera the size of a pack of playing cards
built by Le Coultre, a Swiss watch company. Optical companies, searching
for additional uses for their optical expertise, developed many cameras.
Zeiss Ikon designed a monocular that acted like a spotting scope by
itself but when screwed into the end of a standard 50mm lens it became a
400mm lens.
Part
of the museum’s collection also includes an example of 19th century
instant photography, the Street Camera, a tin type camera which carried
developing equipment and chemicals on board the camera so that the
photographer could develop his photos on the street.
An extensive collection of German cameras, as well as examples of George
Eastman's first box cameras all the way up to Kodak digital point and
shoots. There are also a variety of miniature and "spy" cameras on
display. One looks like a man's silver pocket watch, but the winding
knob is actually a lens cap.
The museum’s massive collection is the result of acquiring several large
collections of cameras and accessories.
One
of the most unique was that of Jim McLeod who began his interest in
photography as a high school photographer in Grandview, Missouri where
he took pictures for the local newspaper and school yearbooks. He
started collecting Kodak Brownie Cameras in 1995. He found a book that
said there had been some 60 different Kodak Brownie’s built and decided
he could collect all of those. During his collecting, he was able to
identify approximately 700 different models and collected at least one
of every type, which amounted to over 400 different cameras manufactured
in 7 different countries, including several rare ones built in Germany
during WWII before the US got involved. While collecting Brownies, he
also acquired over 1000 pieces of Kodak photographic memorabilia.
