box camera

"Growing up in 1950's neither of my parent had a camera. The handful of photographs that exist of myself or my sister as young children were taken by relatives returning from the U.S.A. on holidays. My sister's earliest photograph was taken by a travelling photographer when she was 3. As we got older my mother would, for special occasions like holy communions, hire a box camera complete with film from a local pharmacy. The cost including development was one pound, which was a lot of money then from my father weekly income. As neither of my elderly parents learnt to use the hired cameras, the task of taking pictures, fell to me as the eldest child. For Christmas 1959 I received the Kodak box camera illustrated from Santa. I was so happy to have a camera and to save up my little pocket money for 620 films. I later saved for a clumsy flash attachment which has dis appeared over the years but the box camera I cherished. The brown case shown is the original one left by Santa 25th December 1959. Noting my interest later as a teenager, a young uncle passed on to me his discarded equipment and so began my life long love of photography. His encouragement from the U.S.A. the box camera and its many descendants planted an interest in the visual images which is as strong today as ever. My early snap shots taken out of doors are still remarkably good and a happy reminder of more innocent times. With little to go wrong the box camera would still work perfectly only 620 film has been unavailable for many years. "