Item 2018.10.01.03.01 - Polaroid Swinger Sentinel Land Camera

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Polaroid Swinger Sentinel Land Camera

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  • Object

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Item

Repository

Reference code

2018.10.01.03.01

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Statement of scale (cartographic)

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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1965-1970 (Manufacturing)
    Manufacturer
    Polaroid Corporation
    Place
    United States

Physical description area

Physical description

1 piece of photographic equipment : camera ; approx 12.5 x 14 x 12 cm

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Scope and content

Item is a Sentinel instant camera with wrist strap that produces wallet-size photos that must be chemically treated by the user. It comes with a manual. The body is white plastic, the lens is a meniscus, the shutter is set at the single speed of 1/200 second, there is a built-in flashgun for AG-1 bulbs, a fixed focus and an exposure setting assisted via built-in photometer. The camera got its name from the swinging motion it made when users slipped the strap over their wrists and walked with them. Unlike Polaroid`s earlier, more expensive instant cameras, which conveyed the message that they were not toys, the Swinger originally retailed for $19.95, but now usually sells for around $10, and attempted to draw the affluent children of baby boomers. It was also easy to use, with the word YESappearing in the viewfinder when the exposure was correct. In the first two years on the market, approximately five million were sold, but they were rarely used for more than two rolls of film. They are now commonly displayed as an example of Pop Art. Serial number is KC9451A.

Notes area

Physical condition

Good condition

Immediate source of acquisition

The collection was donated to the Ryerson University Library and Archives by Ken Van Velzer in 2018.

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Open. Records are available for consultation without restriction.

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Sources

50 years ago, the Polaroid Swinger found instant fame. Retrieved from http://www.betaboston.com/news/2015/07/14/fifty-years-ago-the-polaroid-swinger-found-instant-fame/.; Model 20 "Swinger". Retrieved from https://www.instantoptions.com/landlist/cameras/rollfilm/20.php.; Beschloss, Michael (2015). The Polaroid Swinger: Changing the Market in an Instant. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/05/upshot/the-polaroid-swinger-changing-the-market-in-an-instant.html.; Polaroid: Swinger Sentinel. Retrieved from http://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Polaroid/Swinger-Sentinel.html.

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