Submitted by Al …
American 127 Film Day is celebrated on December 7th in the United States each year. This date has been celebrated as the US-specific 127 camera holiday since 2006. It was first suggested in 2004 when the date for World 127 Film Day was being selected, but was rejected because it relies on a non-standard way of rendering the date. Some years later it was picked up by American 127 film enthusiasts. The date is based on the similarity of the US-style on rendering of the date to the film format (i.e. the date December 7 is rendered as "12/7", similar to 127).
Editor’s Note: A second American 127 Film Day is also celebrated on January 27
(1/27, in American-style notation)
History of 127 Film
127 film is a paper-backed roll film format designed for still photography. At 46mm wide, this format was smaller than 120 film, and was originally designed to take eight pictures in 4×6.5cm format.
It was created by Kodak in 1912 for their
Vest Pocket model – hence 127 was sometimes called Vest Pocket film. Many of the first generations of 127 film cameras were similar folders, and frequently inherited Vest Pocket or VP in their names – for example, the Vest Pocket Dolly. Some early Kodak cameras made in 1913 and later, included Kodak’s patented
Autographic feature, providing the photographer with a way to write notations on the back of the film while shooting. Autographic film and cameras were labelled A127. Because enlargements were uncommon during the early usage of 127 film, it was generally contact printed, resulting in 4 x 6.5cm prints.
In 1930, during the Great Depression, camera makers tried to economize on the use of film, and cameras began to appear taking 16 exposures in 3x4cm format
on the 127 film, the first one being the Zeiss Ikon Kolibri. These cameras often used dual red windows, where a particular frame number on the film backing paper was advanced to appear first in one, then the other window. There are three frame sizes commonly used with 127 film: 4×3, 4×4, and 4×6.5 cm. Frame numbers for the different sizes are printed in different heights on the paper backing so that only the relevant set of numbers are visible through the red window on the back of the camera.
The original size, 4×6.5, has its numbers printed in the center. Cameras such as the Acro Model R and Zeh Goldi that use the half-frame 4×3 format have a pair of red windows aligned to the center through which the photographer would count each 4×6.5 frame number twice. As for 4×4 square format cameras, models like the Bilora Bella 44 had red windows on the bottom.
In the 1950s there was a short revival of 127 film with cameras designed to take 12 exposures in 4x4cm format.
Several firms produced high-quality cameras, primarily twin-lens reflexes, in this format. The film was available in colour slide emulsions, and the resulting 4x4cm slides could be projected in a normal projector designed for 24x36mm slides. They were advertised as Superslide. Kodak made such a range of very basic cameras. Rollei made a more advanced Rolleiflex Baby camera until the beginning of the 1960s.
127 film continued in wide use until the introduction of the 126 cartridge cameras in the 1960s.
Kodak stopped producing 127 film in 1995.
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