Billy Bunter Kodak . Is this a fake

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Greetings from England. I am looking for help identifying the following. It came into my possession as a result of a rejected item from a used camera shop, instead of accepting a refund I walked away with the following. There lays the problem, I wondered if the item is fake. It is a wooden box with the words IL Brownie across and a picture of a character holding a camera. Brownie I presume. Inside the box are a number of items as follows. Brownie camera, on opening back it states. NO 1 Brownie camera Model B. Camera appears complete with wind on lever etc. It is in a soft Brown? Cloth case with strap and chrome Kodak Clasp. Also present is a card box with No 2 Brownie Developing box on front. There is a Developing box inside this contains a couple of wooden rollers and a cork etc. Three small Black trays. 6 card Print holders? . Wooden and Glass contact sheet holder?. Engraved Kodak on Rear. The next item appears to be a roll of film all I can say it is wound around a Brass cartridge with wooden insert “Kodak Top “ “ patent applied for “ Black Backing paper states 117 6 (I am guessing size and no images) The next is difficult to read *? BROW NI*?. If it is film it is tightly wound on, and I have left it intact. A small glass cylinder etched /engraved KODAK. Three small sachets of chemicals. Kodak-Metol-Quinol /? Kodak Limited London. Curve Kodak 9CM Kodak S.A.F Paris Paris. Kodak Developer Power etc. And the last items are all in Italian Formulario Kodak ( Kodak Societa Anonima ) Milano Istruzione per sviluppare le pellicole nella scatola da sviluppo Brownie ( Kodak Societa Anonima ) Milano This would appear to be for developing box . And finally a 4.4 inch Istruzioni Leaflet for camera. The dealer described it as a Billy Bunter Kodak outfit. This particular dealership has been in Business since 1950S and states that the whole outfit is genuine and as originally sold. I took the entire lot to a very well established collectors shop that stated they had never seen the Wooden Box etc before. (The camera and other items are of course known) Apologies if this is a frequent subject, I can of course email photos to anyone. You can of course email me exacta@totalise.co.uk

Thanks Karl

-- Karl Hamilton (exakta@totalise.co.uk), April 13, 2002

Answers

Re : "Billy Bunter Kodak"

Karl, Now I've seen your pix on eBay, your "Billy Bunter" is actually a "Brownie", one of the cartoon characters used to promote Brownie cameras at the turn of the 1900's ;-)

The camera would appear to be packaged for the Spanish market, hence the "Il Brownie" and the reference to Madrid on the instructions. To rate it as scarce is probably an understatement !!

Not sure about the other stuff, but it's all VERY nice.

-- Chris Eve (kypfer@itl.net), April 16, 2002.


re: Billy Bunter Kodak

The language is Italian, not Spanish - but I do agree with Chris that what you have is very rare, and I'm surprised that you're selling it already!

-- Pete Lutz (mariner8378@hotmail.com), April 16, 2002.

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