The vest pocket Kodak & The First World War tells the story of the first compact camera and its significance in documenting the Great War. The first half of the book sets the technology and timeline of the camera against those of the war. The second half presents a commemorative album of images taken with the camera.



Launched in April 1912, the Vest Pocket Kodak was one of the world's first compact cameras. About the height and width of today's iPhone, it was small enough to fit into the pocket of a waistcoat (the American Vest) and allowed the soldiers to record their experiences of the trenches. The images they preserved offer us a remarkably personal viewpoint, and create a fascinating link between the camera and the conflict. The first half of the book sets the technology and timeline of the camera against those of the war. The second half presents a commemorative album of images taken with the camera, a remarkable record of a lost generation, and a tragic reflection of the manufacturer's advertising by-line: Kodak pictures never let you forget.