Kodak Photographic Oracle

Since 1892, American company Kodak has been synonymous with photography and a key part of that success was its modern approach to branding – from the name itself, a word invented to be ‘short and euphonious and likely to stick in the public mind’, to the iconic red-and-yellow logo, to the coining of memorable phrases such as the ‘Kodak moment’. 

This playful piece of merchandising from the 1920s typifies Kodak's engaging approach to marketing. With this 'Photographic Oracle', someone could spin the metal arrow after asking a question and land on one of 12 answers, which ranged from vague ('Yes, easily. Consult your manual or ask us') to informative ('No. Any exposure over 1-25 of a second should be made with the camera on a tripod') to promotional ('A monthly magazine given free for one year to purchasers of Eastman Kodaks and Cameras').