Antique_Camera_Guy
Photo Master Camera
This is the "Photo Master" camera. It is a simple point-and-shoot roll film camera which was made by the "Monarch Manufacturing Company" of Chicago Illinois USA around 1940. This is one of the many models of inexpensive pocket-sized cameras produced by the Monarch Company during the 1930s, 40s and early 1950s.
The chassis itself is made entirely out of thick black molded bakelite, and is a common chassis design for low-priced pocket cameras produced during that era. It closely resembles the "Dasco", "Majestic", "Waldorf" and "Churchill", also produced by Monarch. Like the "Churchill" and the "Dasco" this camera was marketed as an inexpensive compact "candid minicam" camera. The only difference between the various models is the name printed on the front circular faceplate, because of this they are often referred to by collectors as "doughnut cameras". Monarch basically re-released the exact same camera under various names, without having to make design changes. This lowered production costs, which intern allowed Monarch to sell their cameras at a lower price. Monarch would even release cameras such as the "Dick Tracy" and "Brenda Starr Club Reporter" under the brand name of the "Seymour Products Company".
The camera features a built-in optical viewfinder with a metal face plate located on the front. The shutter mechanism is a simple fixed speed rotary/disc type shutter, and features two different exposure settings; "INST" (instant) and "TIME". The camera would have originally used "Vest Pocket Film" or "A8" (127 film) and would have made sixteen exposures (4 by 6.5 cm frames) on a standard roll of 127 film. The rear cover is the camera is clips onto the main chassis via two metal tabs and features two green exposure number viewing windows. The lens on the camera is a simple meniscus lens.
Photo Master Camera
This is the "Photo Master" camera. It is a simple point-and-shoot roll film camera which was made by the "Monarch Manufacturing Company" of Chicago Illinois USA around 1940. This is one of the many models of inexpensive pocket-sized cameras produced by the Monarch Company during the 1930s, 40s and early 1950s.
The chassis itself is made entirely out of thick black molded bakelite, and is a common chassis design for low-priced pocket cameras produced during that era. It closely resembles the "Dasco", "Majestic", "Waldorf" and "Churchill", also produced by Monarch. Like the "Churchill" and the "Dasco" this camera was marketed as an inexpensive compact "candid minicam" camera. The only difference between the various models is the name printed on the front circular faceplate, because of this they are often referred to by collectors as "doughnut cameras". Monarch basically re-released the exact same camera under various names, without having to make design changes. This lowered production costs, which intern allowed Monarch to sell their cameras at a lower price. Monarch would even release cameras such as the "Dick Tracy" and "Brenda Starr Club Reporter" under the brand name of the "Seymour Products Company".
The camera features a built-in optical viewfinder with a metal face plate located on the front. The shutter mechanism is a simple fixed speed rotary/disc type shutter, and features two different exposure settings; "INST" (instant) and "TIME". The camera would have originally used "Vest Pocket Film" or "A8" (127 film) and would have made sixteen exposures (4 by 6.5 cm frames) on a standard roll of 127 film. The rear cover is the camera is clips onto the main chassis via two metal tabs and features two green exposure number viewing windows. The lens on the camera is a simple meniscus lens.