Cultural icon, tool for the masses, a child's favorite Christmas present from years past, the Brownie Camera was to photographic history and development what the Volkswagen Bug (present VW Bug excluded!) was to automotive history:

• Reliable performance

• Produced by the millions

• Affordable sticker price

This example shows the $2.00 No. 2 Brownie camera, complete with its original packaging. It's easy to see why the camera was so popular with children. The colorful packaging and whimsical characters (Canadian artist Palmer Cox's "Brownies") attracted a young crowd to the pleasures of photography. George Eastman new that these simple cameras would be the gateway for many, many rolls of film and other photographic supplies.

From a collecting standpoint, the No. 2 Brownie is probably the most commonly found box camera today. It was mass-produced in the millions, and was quite durable. Many of these nearly 100-year-old cameras still function and can be used today. The original box, on the other hand, is much harder to find in decent condition. Imagine the anticipation and lack of patience a youngster might have upon finding a new Brownie camera under the Christmas tree, or receiving one as a birthday gift. 

Detail from the end-flap of the carton used to market
the No. 2 Brownie Camera to children

Many of the original boxes were torn to shreds and discarded, or have simply succumbed to the ravages of time. On average one can expect to pay 10 to 25 times more for a Brownie Camera with its original cartoon box still intact. The cartoon boxes were not made for all Brownie cameras in all years; only the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 2A Brownies had boxes with Brownie characters on them. And these colorful boxes were only used for a few (maybe 5 to 10) years. Larger (No. 2C and No. 3) and later Folding Brownie cameras were never sold with this special packaging.

As a final note pertaining to the overwhelming success of the cameras, Kodak officials and historians have reported that there is still no concrete proof that George Eastman ever approached Palmer Cox about using his characters to market Brownie cameras. Nor is there evidence of a lawsuit or settlement over their use.

Sample No. 2 Brownie Photograph, circa 1904-1907