u/Heartfeltzero

Eastman Kodak released the Vest Pocket Autographic camera in 1915. It quickly became one of the most popular cameras of its era. Small enough to fit in a soldier’s tunic pocket, it was marketed by Kodak as “The Soldier’s Camera.” Servicemen heading to Europe were encouraged to bring along a Vest Pocket Kodak and send photographs of their experiences back home. The Autographic model allowed photographers to write notes directly onto the film between exposures using a small metal stylus. These notes, such as dates, locations, or names, would appear on the developed negatives.

The camera used 127 roll film and featured a simple lens with adjustable aperture settings and shutter speeds of 1/25 and 1/50 second. Many surviving candid photographs from the First World War are believed to have been taken with Vest Pocket Kodaks. Based on its serial number, this particular camera dates to approximately 1917.