Glass, Brass, and Chrome

Book excerpt: The golden age of the American 35mm camera coincided with three tumultuous decades in United States History. Born in the Depression years of the 1930s, the American 35mm reached its maturity during World War II. In the span of only three decades, a toy of the rich became a household gadget. In Glass, Brass, and Chrome Kalton C. Lahue and Joseph Bailey present an absorbing, nostalgic account of American 35mm hardware, its evolution, and the role it played in making photography the number-one hobby in the United States. The golden age of the American 35mm camera coincided with three tumultuous decades in United States History. Born in the Depression years of the 1930s, the American 35mm reached its maturity during World War II. In the span of only three decades, a toy of the rich became a household gadget. Glass, Brass, and Chrome Kalton C. Lahue and Joseph Bailey present an absorbing, nostalgic account of American 35mm hardware, its evolution, and the role it played in making photography the number-one hobby in the United States.