The Kodak Brownie Starmite was a popular snapshot camera that was part of the Kodak Star range of cameras. It had a lightweight, plastic body, fixed focus lens and used 127 roll film. It also featured a built-in flash with a 2 inch reflector that used small AG-1 flash bulbs, for indoor and night photography. It was originally created by Eastman Kodak in the USA in 1960, but production stopped around 1965.
The Kodak Brownie Star series products were the first low-priced cameras "designed to take color slides, as well as color and black-and-white snapshots". They were portable and easy to use, and were extremely popular. Ten million of the three models of Star series cameras were sold around the world in five years.
The Brownie Star series was the second range of Kodak cameras to be assembled in Australia, after the Kodak Brownie Flash II. From 1958 an increasing range of components was made locally, and the Star cameras were assembled from more than 95% Australian parts.
The second camera in the Star range to be produced in Australia was the Brownie Starmite. It followed the Brownie Starlet, while the Brownie Starflash came after.
Museums Victoria has one Kodak Brownie Starmite camera in its Kodak Heritage Collection, and one original packaging box. It also holds a range of marketing material including point of sale price tickets, a user guide and information bulletins.
References
Kodakery, No. 82, September 1977, p.3.
Kodakery, No. 168, March, 1985, p.5.
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