The Brownie Primer
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| In 1901, Eastman Kodak introduced a simple box camera that
was truly intended to make everyone a photographer - even children. George Eastman, who
was truly a marketing wizard, knew that if he created a camera market among the children
of the age, he would have assured a future market for his Kodak equipment. When this new camera, costing one dollar, appeared on dealers' shelves, it was named the "Brownie", and its box was decorated with drawings of Brownies to enhance its appeal to children. The Brownie name came from "Brownies", imaginary little sprites created by Canadian illustrator Palmer Cox, that were quite popular at the time, especially with children.The Brownie line was so successful that, in one form or another, it remained in production for nearly 80 years. The "Brownie Primer", copyrighted in 1905, was a children's reader by N. Moore Banta that also used Cox's Brownie theme to attract the interest of children. The title page carries an illustration of a Brownie, and the primer itself has many cute stories with Brownie illustrations. |
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