Camera Prices from 1939

Dartmoor Dave · 07-07-2018, 09:23 AM - **3 Likes**

Some quick handheld snaps of the photographic equipment pages from the 1939-40 Army & Navy Stores catalogue. Army & Navy was a department store that was originally set up for the military but then also opened civilian shops, and it has long since gone out of business.

The prices are in pre-decimal pounds / shillings / pence. 240 pence in a pound, 20 shillings in a pound, and 12 pence in a shilling. According to Google, £10 in 1939 equals £635 today, or about $845.

I was surprised to see the Leica versions I, II and IIIB all for sale at the same time. Also surprised that both the Contax II & III are much more expensive than any of the Leicas. Although the Contax III must have seemed incredibly advanced at the time with its built-in meter.

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**Kevin B123** · 07-07-2018, 10:07 AM

Wow!.
To put those prices in context, the average house price in 1938 was £545. A craftsman would have earned £195 per year.

As a percentage, by today's inflated house values that Contax III would be about £36,000

.

The Kodak's were quite affordable really, no wonder they were so popular.

**boriscleto** · 07-07-2018, 10:14 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Kevin B123

The Kodak's were quite affordable really, no wonder they were so popular.

That's kinda what George Eastman did...he made photography affordable...

**ffking** · 07-07-2018, 10:24 AM

technological palaeontology - there have been a couple of mass extinctions since

Johndav · 07-07-2018, 10:27 AM

Thanks for posting these up. As you and Kevin have noted the relative price to earning ratio shows that photography has never been cheaper than it is today

Dartmoor Dave · 07-07-2018, 11:21 AM

I've been wondering what they did with the German cameras when the war broke out later in the year. Did they keep selling them, or did they mothball them for six years and then have a big post-war Leica sale? I'm sure I remember from Robert Capa's autobiography that he used two Contaxes for his famous D-Day photos.

victormeldrew · 07-07-2018, 11:38 AM

I love the little social history detail there...the cameras all marked as either 'Made In England' or the dismissively generic 'Foreign'.

**paulh** · 07-07-2018, 12:35 PM

Good stuff Dave - thanks for sharing!

**ChipB** · 07-07-2018, 12:58 PM

Fun reading - thanks for posting!!

**Alex645** · 07-07-2018, 02:27 PM

Three impressions:
a) £5 for a Brownie? Seems high.
b) £10 for a Retina? Seems low.
c) LOVE the Focomat Automatic Enlarger. Would love to find one of those. Wonder why they considered it "automatic"?

Dartmoor Dave · 07-07-2018, 02:40 PM

Originally posted by Alex645

£5 for a Brownie? Seems high.

Ah, but that's 5 shillings for the cheapest Brownie (plus sixpence), not £5. At 21 shillings, the most expensive Brownie is only about 1/9th the cost of the cheapest Retina.

The mysteries of pre-decimal currency. Can't imagine why they got rid of it.

**Alex645** · 07-07-2018, 03:15 PM

Originally posted by Alex645

Three impressions:
a) £5 for a Brownie? Seems high.
b) £10 for a Retina? Seems low.

Originally posted by Dartmoor Dave

Ah, but that's 5 shillings for the cheapest Brownie (plus sixpence), not £5. At 21 shillings, the most expensive Brownie is only about 1/9th the cost of the cheapest Retina.

The mysteries of pre-decimal currency. Can't imagine why they got rid of it.

Got it! Thanks for the correction. Then I would say the Brownie is priced right, but the Retina still seems like a bargain.

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07-07-2018, 10:07 AM	#2
Kevin B123 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,179	Wow!. To put those prices in context, the average house price in 1938 was £545. A craftsman would have earned £195 per year. As a percentage, by today's inflated house values that Contax III would be about £36,000 . The Kodak's were quite affordable really, no wonder they were so popular.

07-07-2018, 10:14 AM - 1 Like	#3
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Originally posted by Kevin B123 The Kodak's were quite affordable really, no wonder they were so popular. That's kinda what George Eastman did...he made photography affordable...

07-07-2018, 10:24 AM	#4
ffking Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Old South Wales Posts: 6,039	technological palaeontology - there have been a couple of mass extinctions since

07-07-2018, 10:27 AM	#5
Johndav Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Sunny Dun(ny)fermline, Fife Posts: 405	Thanks for posting these up. As you and Kevin have noted the relative price to earning ratio shows that photography has never been cheaper than it is today

07-07-2018, 11:21 AM	#6
Dartmoor Dave Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Dartmoor, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,888 Original Poster	I've been wondering what they did with the German cameras when the war broke out later in the year. Did they keep selling them, or did they mothball them for six years and then have a big post-war Leica sale? I'm sure I remember from Robert Capa's autobiography that he used two Contaxes for his famous D-Day photos.

07-07-2018, 11:38 AM	#7
victormeldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: South West UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,493	I love the little social history detail there...the cameras all marked as either 'Made In England' or the dismissively generic 'Foreign'.

07-07-2018, 12:35 PM	#8
paulh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: DFW Texas/Ventura County, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 33,301	Good stuff Dave - thanks for sharing!

07-07-2018, 12:58 PM	#9
ChipB Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Eau Claire, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,701	Fun reading - thanks for posting!!

07-07-2018, 02:27 PM	#10
Alex645 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Kaneohe, HI Photos: Albums Posts: 3,526	Three impressions: a) £5 for a Brownie? Seems high. b) £10 for a Retina? Seems low. c) LOVE the Focomat Automatic Enlarger. Would love to find one of those. Wonder why they considered it "automatic"?

07-07-2018, 02:40 PM	#11
Dartmoor Dave Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Dartmoor, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,888 Original Poster	Originally posted by Alex645 £5 for a Brownie? Seems high. Ah, but that's 5 shillings for the cheapest Brownie (plus sixpence), not £5. At 21 shillings, the most expensive Brownie is only about 1/9th the cost of the cheapest Retina. The mysteries of pre-decimal currency. Can't imagine why they got rid of it.

07-07-2018, 03:15 PM	#12
Alex645 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Kaneohe, HI Photos: Albums Posts: 3,526	Originally posted by Alex645 Three impressions: a) £5 for a Brownie? Seems high. b) £10 for a Retina? Seems low. Originally posted by Dartmoor Dave Ah, but that's 5 shillings for the cheapest Brownie (plus sixpence), not £5. At 21 shillings, the most expensive Brownie is only about 1/9th the cost of the cheapest Retina. The mysteries of pre-decimal currency. Can't imagine why they got rid of it. Got it! Thanks for the correction. Then I would say the Brownie is priced right, but the Retina still seems like a bargain.