Camera - Kodak Australasia Pty Ltd, Instamatic 100, Coburg, Victoria, circa 1963
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1963
Kodak Instamatic 100 camera, in its original cardboard box, made by Kodak Australasia Pty Ltd circa 1963. The Instamatic camera range was a series of inexpensive, easy-to-use and easy-to-load cameras which proved to be immensely popular. This camera has a pop-up flash that uses a small single flash bulb.
The Instamatic 100 camera was the first Instamatic released by Eastman Kodak in the USA and was launched in 1963, but the camera was also soon made by Kodak Australasia for the local Australia and New Zealand market. In Australia it was assembled from imported parts by the Camera, Reels and Sundries Department in Building 15 at Kodak Australasia's new factory in Coburg. Kodak Australasia went on to produce numerous other Instamatic models over the next two decades.
This camera is made of metal and plastic, with red details, and a wrist strap. The camera comes with a pop-up flash and takes size 126 film on a drop-in cartridge, which eliminated the need to thread film on a spool. Rectangular, metal and plastic Kodak Instamatic 100 Camera, in a rectangular cardboard box. The box lid is printed yellow, with a yellow, red, black and white image. The graphic image on the top of the box shows the film spools with black arrows to suggest that the spools are dropped into the camera rather than wound on. The front of the box shows a basic black and white diagram of the camera, with a red and yellow Kodak logo on the left. The base of the box is black, and is filled with moulded cardboard.
The front of the camera is made of a silver metal, with plastic inserts, and a red Kodak logo printed on the left of the lens. At the top right is the camera model name. On the bottom right is a small button which releases a pop-up flash on the top of the camera. The flash is a blue bulb in a black plastic housing. A silver metal slide on the back of the flash releases the bulb. The back of the flash has specifications for K-COLOR-X, K-CHROME-X and E-CHROME-X film.
The body of the camera is black plastic and silver metal. A black cord wrist strap is clipped to the left hand side. The back release button is on the middle of the right side, and the wind-on lever is on the top right. A small rectangular view finder is on the back of the camera. Below this is a plastic window to check the film number. The interior of the camera is a combination of black metal and moulded black plastic.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 4
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Dimensions
- 106 mm (Width), 53 mm (Depth), 63 mm (Height); 128 mm (Width), 92 mm (Depth), 68 mm (Height)
Technical characteristics
- Brand recorded
- Kodak
- Maker recorded
- Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd (Coburg, Victoria, Australia)
- Model recorded
- Instamatic 100
Design
- Inscription
- Printed, top of box lid, reverse, black ink, "INSTAMATIC 100 CAMERA", and red rectangle with yellow type "KODAK" logo. Printed, front of box, black ink, "INSTAMATIC 100 CAMERA", and red rectangle with yellow type "KODAK" logo. On both sides is printed, black ink, in rectangle with black keyline, "STOCK/ ITEM No. 0114". Printed, red rectangle, yellow reverse type, "Kodak"/ black ink, "INSTAMATIC"/ red rectangle, yellow reverse type, "100"/ black ink, "CAMERA". Printed, on rear of box, red rectangle with yellow type "KODAK" logo. Printed, black ink, "KODAK (Australasia) PTY. LTD., MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA". On front of camera, moulded, black plastic, silver reverse type, "INSTAMATIC/CAMERA". Printed, red type, "100". Moulded, metal, type reversed out of red printed rectangle, "Kodak". Camera rear, moulded plastic type, 'WIND FILM TO STOP'. Botttom of camera, type embossed in black plastic, "ONE BASE UP/ ONE BASE DOWN/ OPEN/ AAA BATTERIES". Inside back cover, black ink, reverse type, "KODAK (AUSTRALASIA) PTY. LTD./ TRADE MARK REGISTERED/ 'USE KODAK 126 FILM' ".
Identification
- Candidate id
- mv-371426
- Museum object number
- ST 25804
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.