Digital FX Design | Production | Post

Walter D. Teague’s Bantam Special

The Kodak Bantam Special is arguably the most beautiful camera ever produced. It is the camera that began my journey into collecting. I purchased a fine example for $75.00 at a camera show in New Orleans, LA over 30 years ago, and today I have over 30 Bantam Specials.

The Bantam Special is a classic Art Deco design styled by Walter Dorwin Teague in 1936. The Bantam Special is one of the finest examples of art-deco styling applied to any camera design. The Bantam Special had a 1937 list price of $110.00, targeting the affluent and fashionable set. In 2008 dollars thats well over $1,000.

The Bantam Special has an aluminum body with a heavy black enamel finish. The excellent optics, shutter and precision manufacturing, made it a high quality, eye-pleasing “miniature” camera. Folded it would easily fit into your pocket and is smaller than my Canon Powershot G9.

Il design: Walter Teague Kodak Bantam Special