BoxCameras.com - Blair Camera Company 'Kamaret', 1891

One of our favorite box cameras! The Blair Kamaret of 1891 is historically significant on two fronts: It was the first camera to move its rollfilm spools ahead of the focal plane, which saved considerable space in a 4 x 5 camera; it was also the camera over which George Eastman launched into a significant legal battle with Thomas Blair over his alleged infringement upon Eastman's rollfilm transport system patent. The image on the right shows the camera closed; the circular item on the front of the camera is the original brass and felt lens plug. This was a necessary item for longer ("time") exposures. In the image below, the Kamaret is shown with its hinged front door open, displaying the elaborate brass shutter mechanism. The toothed wheel to the left, only barely visible, was an exposure counter.	Kamaret shown closed; lens plug in place
View an original 1891 Kamaret Guide Book
The Kamaret's brass shutter and lens assembly	The Kamaret was offered for $40 complete in 1891. Although it was made in both a 4 x 5 and later, a 5 x 7 model, the 5 x 7 version is much less common and quite scarce today. Similar to the early Kodak cameras, it was necessary to load the Kamaret's rollfilm in a darkroom. The camera could accommodate up to 100 exposures worth of Blair's rollfilm, although it was commonly supplied with enough film for 50 exposures. The ubiquitous red window and numbered black paper backing which would revolutionize camera design was not yet available at this point, so the Kamaret's rollfilm transport was considered ingenious by some, and patent infringement by Mr. Eastman.
At the rear of the camera (shown at right) was a small brass knob that opened a narrow vertical slit and allowed the photographer to examine the film as it passed through the back of the camera. The film was perforated between exposures, and these perforations would identify when the next exposure was in place. This feature became a significant problem as photo-chemistry advances increased film's sensitivity; having a door expose a section of the film would lead to the fogging of a good portion of the negative.	Rear of Kamaret, showing vertical door through which frame numbers could be tracked via holes punched in the film by setting the shutter
By many accounts, the Kamaret was something of a "lemon" when it came to sales. The camera had to be thoroughly disassembled to be reloaded, including unscrewing the carrying strap. This was an inconvenience that snapshot photographers of the 1890s were realizing they did not have to accept. From a craftsmanship standpoint, however, the Kamaret was extremely well-made. The brass, leather, and wood combine to make a very sturdy, solid feeling camera. At right, the reddish-purple stamp on the wood is from the original Blair inspector in July of 1891. Although Blair catalogs indicate the Kamaret camera was offered later on in the 1890s, it was overpriced for its features, and as a result, many went unsold. Click here to view the Petite Kamarette, the little sister of the Kamaret.	Kamaret open for film loading/unloading. The back of the rear section (right) could be removed and replaced with a module that took glass plates.