I recently worked with a class of primary school children learning about the First World War (1914-18). We spent time looking at the remarkable collection of photographs curated by the Imperial War Museum. This led to questions about what cameras were available to soldiers at the front and ultimately to me buying a Butcher’s Watch “Carbine” Pocket Camera dating from around 1912, for just a few pounds.

Naturally I wanted to see if this tiny, folding camera could still produce photographs. The shutter still seemed to work and the lens looked fine, my only problem was the obsolete film spool the camera requires. The actual film size (120) is still available and produces large negatives 6cm by 6cm. However, it is spooled onto slightly larger spindles than my old camera can handle and is twice the length. Fortunately a quick spindle trim with some scissors produced compatible film.

These images come from the first film I have put through the camera. The second was a happy accident. There is no mechanism to prevent exposing the same bit of film more than once, something I intend to take advantage of in the future.

I can’t help but wonder what images the camera captured when it was new and what its first owner thought of this tiny, technological wonder that they could carry anywhere in a pocket to capture images of life around them.