Spycameras: The World War Two Eastman Kodak Matchbox Camera.

Описание: Kodak 'Eastman MB' Matchbox Camera.
No serial number.
28mm f5 lens.
Manufactured 1944.

An increased demand for photo intelligence from Europe during the Second World War and a lack of suitable equipment to obtain it led to the development of the Kodak Matchbox Camera.

The Riga Minox camera was already being manufactured at the start of the war, but models were in short supply, being bought up by intelligence agencies at premium prices.

This, coupled with the fact that its 9.5mm film format was not compatible with existing processing and enlargement equipment in the United States began a search for an alternative camera.

There were also concerns that the shiny stainless steel Minox was not covert, and potentially put agents at risk when the camera was being used in clandestine situations.

To address these concerns, this camera was developed by the Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner of the CIA).

Tasked with designing the camera, OSS employee Frank Bobb spoke with an intelligence officer recently returned from Europe and conceived the idea of a camera disguised as a small wooden matchbox, which at the time were more common in Europe than in the US.

Officially known as the ‘Eastman MB’ or more commonly as ‘Camera X’, the first model was produced in 1944 by Kodak in a batch of 500 cameras.

This version used rolls of 16mm film, but this was prone to jamming.

The second model, introduced in 1945 used films on spools, which resolved this problem. A further 500 cameras were manufactured with this advance.

A two foot strip of 16mm film produced up to 34 images that were 14x 14mm in size.

The first model, like this one, is distinguished by having three indentations 120 degrees apart in the top of the film winding dial. The later version had two, 180 degrees apart.

Both versions consisted of an inner Bakelite body which was then covered with a sliding metal casing.

The camera lens was a fixed focus 25mm covering between 8 feet and infinity with an angle of view of 45 degrees.

A small pin on the side of the camera allowed the aperture to be adjusted between f5 and f11.

On one side of the casing was the shutter release button providing an ‘instantaneous’ exposure of around 1/50 second while, on the opposite side of the casing, there was a small pin which allowed the shutter to be held open as with a ‘bulb’ setting.

According to the issued instructions, the camera was suitable for both general and documentary photography.

The camera could be supplied with a developing kit and a close up lens and copying stand for document photography.

It could also be supplied with suitable matchbox labels to disguise the casing, dependant on the country in which it was to be used, or failing that, the operator could provide their own.

Due to the relatively late introduction of the camera, it is likely that Camera X was used more extensively in the early years of the Cold War, rather than World War Two.

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