I have purchased what appears to be a Brownie Pliant Six-16. However, the picture on the George Eastman site while similar, shows some differences. The camera I have is brown inside and out except for the bellows which is black. It has a No. 1 Kodal lens with four aperture selections numbered 1 through 4. The face of the lens housing carries the number 45727. All the Kodak labels and identification markings are included as well as an old label inside the film housing calling for Kodak 616 film to be used.

Everything seems to be as it should be except for some differences in the face of the housing surroundeing the lens. The George Eastman site shows a unit with a circle decoration around the lens, while my unit has a five sided design around the top and sides of the lens with the remainder of the design being the bottom third of a circle.

Has anyone encountered a similar unit that they can verify being a legitimate production model from Kodak? If so, what source or sources did you use to identify your camera?

Thanks.

-- George Short (gdshort@hotmail.com), April 18, 2002

Answers

Pliant Camera Identification (revisited)

I've done a bit more digging through my files, the camera I have reference that looks similar to your description has a Kodak Anastigmat Rapide (note the spelling) in an AGC shutter. I'd guess this was at least assembled, if not completely manufactured, in Europe, probably France. I wonder if there's any reference, inside or out, on your camera, as to it's origin.

-- Chris Eve (kypfer@itl.net), April 20, 2002.

Pliant Camera Identification

I have seen at least one other example of a Six-16 Brownie Pliant similar to your description, though I was unaware of any colour variation. Wierd variations like this turn up every so often, I've a couple of undocumented models in my collection ... I've always assumed they were marketing excersises that never went into full production.

-- Chris Eve (kypfer@itl.net), April 19, 2002.