The Hollywood Camera, a cardboard camera made by the Encore Camera Company in the 1940s and 1950s.
The Hollywood Box Camera is made of a wood internal frame with simulated leatherette paper over cardboard and measures 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 5 inches. The camera was pre-loaded with roll film and includes two “press type” metal viewfinders that pull up for framing shots. There are no adjustments for focus, aperture or shutter speed. The shutter is spring-loaded, the film advance is a flat round knob and there’s a film counter window on the back.
After all 12 photos are taken, you insert $1.25 (a quarter wrapped in a dollar bill) for processing and return postage in the designated slot, apply a 9-cent stamp to the exterior, and mail the whole camera back to Encore Camera Company in Delano, California (north of Bakersfield). They’ll send you “giant size enlargements.”
Because it’s a disposable camera, it may be hard to find today, but is not considered especially valuable. They can be found at collector camera shows, antique stores and eBay.
Hollywood Camera
Production: 1940s & 50s
Type: Box Camera
Media: Preloaded film
Focus: Fixed-focus design.
Accessories: None
Collectability:
Though the Hollywood Camera was designed for short-term use and crafted from cardboard, these cameras aren’t particularly rare. They may not compete with the heavyweights of camera collecting, but the intriguing story behind them, coupled with their status as a prime example of early disposable technology, makes them an excellent conversation starter in any collection.
Photographer: Gary Berger
Photography instructor at the Hewlett-Packard Co, at Life-Long Learning in Bentonville and at the Bentonville Public Library. First camera was a Yashica TL Electro 35mm in 1978.
Current camera is a Nikon Z6iii.