Week 7 - 2016
Kodak Bantam Special, 1936. Preus museum's collection (photo: Andreas Harvik/Preus museum)
The most beautiful camera in the world
Many consider the Kodak Bantam Special one of the most beautiful cameras ever made.
Kodak asked the noted industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague (1883-1960) to design the Bantam Special, which became a masterpiece of Art Deco style. The elegant camera has a black enamel exterior, and the body is made of cast aluminum with chrome detailing.
Unfortunately the camera uses 828 film which has long been out of production. 828 film is related to the more well-known 35mm version in which the film was rolled with paper backing, something we recognize from medium-format roll film. So the Kodak Bantam is doomed to life on the shelf, delighting everyone that admires good, practical, and beautiful design.
