Before my grandma passed away, she made sure I acquired my great grandmother Hazel's camera. She had kept it on her shelf for many many years, and I can honestly say that it is my most favorite piece of family history to be handed down to me. I'm not really sure of the story behind it, or if there is one, but with a quick google search, The Optima I camera was manufactured by the Agfa company from 1960 to 1964 and didn't require batteries. The photo at the end of this post was taken in 1965. The "original" Optima was the first fully automatic camera in the world. The original Optima model had a retail price of $79.95, but I couldn't find any information about what the Optima I sold for.

I love collecting old cameras and finding out what time period they're from. Most of them go to my studio for display, but this one stays on my desk at home to remind me of where I started and to continue my love and passion for photography.

Enjoy!

Ps. This is also the first blog circle chain of the year. We will be posting a Lensbaby inspired blog once every month, so make sure to check out Keri's Lensbaby Blog, to continue the circle until you've made it back to me! :D