The Zoutpansberger’s camera museum has expanded, with several lovely vintage cameras donated over the past few months. More than 200 cameras are on display at the newspaper’s offices at 16B Joubert Street.

The camera exhibition is believed to be the largest in Limpopo, featuring cameras dating back to well before the turn of the 20^th century. Among these are 28 centenarians - cameras that are 100 years old or older. The oldest on display is a Collins Patent field camera, dating from 1887.

One of the latest arrivals is a No. 1 Folding Pocket Kodak, donated by a local resident, Richard Ball. This camera was manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company between 1899 and 1905. It originally sold for $10.00 and featured red bellows made of leather. This special type of thin leather was imported from Russia until about 1911, when Kodak began using cheaper, locally produced black leather.

Other cameras donated by Mr Ball include a 1929 Kodak No. 2 Brownie and a 1934 Coronet Folder. It is believed that the two Kodak cameras were used to capture photographs during World War I and World War II.

The camera museum is open to the public during office hours on weekdays. It forms part of the reception area of the offices. While no guides are available, visitors are welcome to view the cameras on display and read the short summaries of each one, which are compiled in a file.

The museum is not only about preserving valuable cameras from the past but also about telling the story of photography - from the early 1800s, when the camera obscura became popular, to the latest digital cameras. It also includes less-successful products, such as Kodak’s disc camera and some of the earliest attempts at autofocus technology.

The collection includes everything from British field cameras to Russian single-lens reflex cameras, as well as miniature cameras and renowned brands such as Hasselblad and Leica. Even “instant” cameras, such as Polaroids and Kodak’s Colorburst range, are on display.

In the past, the newspaper’s staff members have created opportunities for the cameras to be used, rather than leaving them displayed behind glass. A few years ago, a special calendar was produced, for which readers were invited to use cameras that were at least 50 years old to take the photos featured in the calendar. Last year, a short workshop was held where attendees could use the cameras to take photographs, which were later developed.

This year, the plan is to host a “box camera” competition. Readers will be invited to use a box camera, such as a Kodak Box Brownie, to take a photograph and enter it into the competition. The collection includes a dozen or more box cameras, most of which are still in perfect working condition.

Readers interested in learning more about vintage photography are welcome to contact Anton van Zyl on 084 616 4997 or 015 516 4996/7.