Kodak Brownie Starflex
At about age eight I remember an expression from an elderly gentleman ‘more fun than a Blackpool tram’. that stuck in my mind because I could not figure out why a Blackpool tram could be fun. I traveled on trams regularly sometimes on my own but mostly with my parents and most of the time I was told ‘now just sit still and behave’.
Eight months after I was introduced to the world of cameras with the Imperial my only other and favorite aunt gave me a birthday gift, a Kodak Brownie Starflex twin lens reflex with a extra gift of a roll of 127 reversal film. It was summer and while out wondering I took a photo of the ‘toast rack’ tram in the Fleetwood tram yard. It was then that I realized, that just staying put on this old tram while rattled and rocked its way between Fleetwood and Stargate would have probably been a lot of fun!
More images of Fleetwood, Blackpool and Fylde
This little camera was a huge step forward when compared with the previous box camera the view finder was bright and clear and I could really compose an image as I wanted it, albeit reversed. It also came with a flash gun, a lens hood, a case and two roles of film plus the additional gift of that first roll of Ekta Chrome transparency film I ever shot and I think the first in the family but things were about to change in that regard.
One little idiosyncratic feature that Kodak incorporated was the wire frame ‘ Sports viewfinder ‘ that folded out from the bottom of the camera. While it served its purpose for panning a moving object lifting rather than pressing the shutter without moving the camera required some practice.
Another feature, a big step forward in functional design when compared with the box camera was a film wind on stop for every frame, For the first time one did not have to rely on the numbers printed on the film backing and viewed through the little red window on rear of the camera.
The contact prints from the 127 film were just large enough view once mounted in an album. But the main attraction was that in 1958 the 127 format was becoming very popular and as a result the cost of film and processing materials was in reach of a 10 year old’s pocket money! The following year the same aunt gave me a Junior developing kit that consisted of a Multi format dev tank trays, forceps, a safety light, measuring jugs, chemicals and a contact printer. I set up my dark room in the only avaialble suitable dark place an unused toilet! Every boy needs a shed…
The other photos were taken on the Rhine, Switzerland and Austria about the same time.
Scanned from a fading print shot at dusk near Speyer on the Rhine, Germany. Its a peculiar thing, I shot this photo about forty eight years ago on 127 roll film with the Starflex that produced a square image. I have used almost every format up to 4×5 but I still think in terms of and feel comfortable with square images!
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