Historical Context

Produced between 1933 and 1937, the Jiffy Kodak Six-16 is an absolute masterpiece of Great Depression-era industrial design. It was marketed as the ultimate quick-draw camera for the casual shooter — a “Jiffy” to open, and a jiffy to shoot.

Prior to this camera, most folding cameras required you to press a button to open the door, grab a small tab, and manually pull the lens standard out along a metal track until it locked into position

Kodak engineered the Jiffy to pop out instantly. You simply pressed a button on the side of the body, and a series of spring-loaded struts violently threw the lens board and bellows forward into the shooting position. To close it, you pressed the struts inward and folded the heavy metal door back into the body.