What size square pictures did the original Kodak Brownie take?

The original Kodak Brownie took 2.25-inch square pictures. Released in 1900, it used No. 117 roll film and was designed as a remarkably simple box camera for ordinary people, including children.

The camera cost just $1 in the United States, while Kodak’s inexpensive film-processing system made snapshot photography far more accessible. Its fixed-focus lens and uncomplicated controls helped turn photography from a specialist hobby into a popular pastime. The Brownie’s success also helped Kodak sell the roll film the camera required.

A common mix-up is confusing the original Brownie with later models. The No. 2 Brownie, introduced in 1901, used a different film size and produced larger 3.25-by-2.25-inch photographs. Brownie models later varied substantially, so “a Brownie picture” does not always mean a square image. The 2.25-inch measurement specifically identifies the first 1900 model and its No. 117 film.