Rediscovering History Through the Lens: A Kodak Junior Six-20 — Issue 19

While exploring the ceiling of a porch, Karen Jones made a remarkable discovery: an old camera, completely intact in its leather case. The camera turned out to be a Kodak Junior Six-20, a popular, budget-friendly folding camera produced by Kodak from the 1930s through the 1940s in Britain and the US/Canada.

The Kodak Junior Six-20 used 620 film to capture medium-format photographs, often 6 × 9 cm in size. Known for its simple operation, basic shutter speeds (T, B, 1/25, and 1/50), and rotating focus ring set between eight to 15 feet and beyond, the camera was designed to make photography accessible to amateur photographers. Its leather bellows and brilliant finder are hallmark features of early camera design, though the finder offers only a limited preview compared to modern viewfinders.

Karen shared the find with her Grade 11 art class, many of whom had never encountered a film camera before. Although not a photographer by training, she brings foundational knowledge of aperture and shutter speed from past experience, including years spent using a Pentax camera.

Black-and-white Six-20 film was ordered from Calgary, and of the eight exposures taken, three were successfully developed, most of the others having been overexposed. With few labs still able to process this film, development took several weeks.

Amid this experimentation, Addi Smith ‘27, who is working on architecture in her IB artmaking and was instantly curious about the camera, captured a striking photograph of Convocation Hall. The image, believed to have been taken using f/11 and bulb exposure, complements the graceful aging of the building’s architecture and invites mystery. The next step will involve using the negative to create a cyanotype print.

After further research, including YouTube tutorials on operating the Kodak Junior Six-20, Karen plans to order more film and continue experimenting. She has also discovered a local camera enthusiast who develops film in his basement, opening the door to even more creative exploration.