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From the somewhat large and unwieldy folding cameras of the early 20th Century, the simple box camera was a major factor in increasing the popularity of consumer photography. While being limited in their capabilities, the relatively compact form factor and simple operation brought photography to a much broader base. From a collector’s standpoint, they are still relatively common and easy to obtain. However, their generally plain style and form don’t always translate well to appealing display aesthetics. I do appreciate the models whose design has an Art Deco influence, and with unique colors (my Brown & Tan Kodak Beau Brownie No. 2a, shown below, being one example).

Many of my early camera acquisitions were box cameras, due to the availability and low prices.

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A Brief Overview of Box Cameras, and the influence of Kodak

A box camera is a simple type of camera, the most common form being a cardboard or plastic box with a lens in one end and film at the other. They were sold in large numbers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The lenses are often single element designs meniscus fixed focus lens, or in better quality box cameras a doublet lens with minimal (if any) possible adjustments to the aperture or shutter speeds. Because of the inability to adjust focus, the small lens aperture and the low sensitivity of the sensitive materials available, these cameras work best in brightly lit day-lit scenes when the subject is within the hyperfocal distance for the lens and of subjects that move little during the exposure. Eventually, box cameras with photographic flash, shutter and aperture adjustment were introduced, allowing indoor photos.

The Kodak camera introduced in 1888 was the first box camera to become widely adopted by the public and its design became the archetype for box camera designs introduced by many different manufacturers.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_camera