Model 800 Camera

This camera was designed by Walter Dorwin Teague, Sr., one of the leading figures in the field of industrial design and a proponent of a new aesthetic of geometry and economy based on machines. He was influenced by the geometry and proportions found in the architecture and forms of classical Greece and often employed basic Euclidian figures in his designs.
Camera design was among the earliest and most significant aspects of Teague’s output. His first major client was Eastman Kodak, for which he designed the Beau Brownie camera (ca. 1930). In 1948, Teague designed the first Polaroid camera for Edwin Land. The Land Camera was the first to develop its own prints in minutes and was an instant sensation on its introduction. According to one publication by the Society of Industrial Designers, despite difficulties presented by a mechanism engineered to not only advance roll film but to apply developing chemicals, Teague designed a functional, comfortable, durable folding housing for the lens and mechanism that produced photographic prints on the spot. The model 800 (ca. 1957) incorporates updated technology and design improvements.
This example of the model 800 is in excellent shape, in its original packaging, and includes a flash and mount. It would be a fine addition to our current Teague industrial design holdings, represented at the time of acquisition by two car models and the Beau Brownie camera. It would also enrich our camera collection and act as a bridge to our group of post-1960 Polaroid cameras designed by Henry Dreyfuss.

Model 800 Camera; Designed by Walter Dorwin Teague (American, 1883–1960); Manufactured by Polaroid Corporation (United States); USA; metal, plastic, vinyl, glass, leather, coated paper; H x W x D (open): 26.7 x 15.2 x 21 cm (10 1/2 in. x 6 in. x 8 1/4 in.) H x W x D (closed): 15.2 x 26.7 x 8.3 cm (6 x 10 1/2 x 3 1/4 in.); Gift of Russell Flinchum; 2007-22-1-a/c