35MM Fisher-Price Camera - Red one with 2 Handles

HOMMAGE : FISHER- PRICE 35 MM CAMERA

I would like to pay homage to the 35MM Fisher Price Camera. The Big Red one, the one that has 2 eye-viewers and a handle on each side for each of my hands. This is the camera that has the child lock key which is yellow and supported by a knot. The child lock key has to be used to press the button that in turn opens the area where the film gets loaded. When I first got this camera, it took me 3 hours to figure out how to load this film. Its okay, it just caused a greater bond between us. This the Camera that has the flash button and uses 35mm film, not 110, but 35mm film.

THIS IS THE BEST CAMERA I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!! EVER!!!!

Now I will be reflecting on my memories with the camera:

1.When I went to the White House and had to go through security, the guards were like, “What is this?” I said a camera. And they were like ok.

2.When I was interning with the US Justice Department, I had to go to the DC Courthouse. When it was my turn to enter the building I had to put my bags through the detector. The men opened my bags and were like,” What is this?” I said, ‘It’s a Camera!!!’ They were like, “Who carries around a red camera?” I was like, ‘I do, its Fisher Price and it’s the best camera Ive ever had!!’. Then they wanted me to open the camera to prove that it was really a camera. I was like, ‘I can’t do that. I have film in there, it will mess up my exposures’. They weren’t convinced. So they held on to my camera until I was done and ready to leave the courthouse.

3.US Embassy in Ghana, West Africa – I went to the US Embassy in Ghana to register as a US Citizen. The female guard was like, “Do you have any cameras on you?” I was like, ‘yeah, here.’ She laughed and was like, ‘ What is this?’ I told her it was a camera. She started speaking in her native tongue but didn’t realize that I understood every word she was saying. I think she was hoping that I would let her keep it. I was like, ‘Um no, this camera better be here when I return from registration.’ It was.


4.Do you know what its like being in a third world country and taking a picture with the red Fisher-Price Camera. Everyone is ready to take the picture and as you take out your camera , you catch everyone in the , “ Is that a real camera” expression. I love it!!

5.United States State Department- Washington DC – I was invited to ceremony that was being held in the State Department. After registering, the guard asked me if I had any film Id like to put in a tray, in order to keep it from being spoiled. I was like, ‘Yeah, my camera.’ So I handed him my camera. And he liked it. That guy had good taste.

6.Has anyone ever tried to get an odd looking camera into the Vatican-St Peters Basilica in Rome, Italy? Last November, well November 2005, I went to Italy for a month. I went to Venice and Rome. Venezia was beautiful, oh just lovely!!! Rome was okay. As I entered the security, before I could tour the building to view the Pope’s body, I was stopped. The beautiful Italian man was like, “What is this, you can’t bring this in.” I was like, ‘It’s a camera!! Es un macchina fotografica’ because by this time my Italian was pretty good). So then the guard called his co-worker over and asked him if he believed that it was really a camera. The guy took it, put it up in the air and spun it around very slowly and meticulously. Then he looked at me and reluctantly said, ‘Its ok, let her go’. PERFECTO !!! ‘CIAO’ was my response. My uncle was like, “Yeah, that camera is going to give you lots of problems.”

7.University of Virginia and Clemson University : My Fisher-Price Camera was with me during my four years of undergrad. It was with me when I visited the President of the University- good ole John Casteen-great guy. It was the official photographer of my graduation. It was also the official photographer of my graduate school ceremony. The Fisher-Price 35mm camera is a significant part of my life. Seriously.

8.The outgoing Mayor of DC, Anthony Williams, liked my camera.


9.Airports: I’m telling you, airport screeners get a kick out of seeing the Fisher-Price 35 mm Camera. Since I have had this camera, I have travelled with my big red 35mm Fisher-Price Camera to the following airports:
- Dulles and Reagan (Washington, DC)
- Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta Airport (Atlanta, GA)
- Heathrow Airport (London, England – at least 2x)
- Kotoko International Airport (Accra, Ghana, West Africa)
- Schipol Airport (Amsterdam-what a beautiful airport)
- Toronto Pearson International Airport (Toronto, Canada)
- Milan Malpensa Airport (Milan, Italy)
- Trieste, R.Dei Legionari (Trieste, Italy)

10. Kids were always trying to take my camera. Everyone thinks it’s a View-Master, because it’s the same tone of red. It really does look like the Original View Master. But we all know that the View-Master has transformed and is now a projector. Anyways, kids always want to play with it and Im like NO,no, its not a toy, Ive got film in there. Im never worried about the film coming out, because that camera is built like a Tonka Truck-STRONG- but I do worry about kids rewinding my film the wrong way or taking unnecessary pictures. FILM IS EXPENSIVE. I do wish Fisher-Price would have come up with some deal with Kodak where the users of the Fisher-Price Camera could have received a discount or something. Oh well.

I would say getting the camera through the Vatican security was the greatest ordeal I’ve had concerning this camera. But oh, what a great camera it has been. Its met governors, mayors, officials, doctors, University presidents, lawyers, you name it, its done it. I love you , my red Fisher –Price 35 mm Camera. Without you, my life would have remained undocumented, and simply a vast array of memories contained within my mind.

LONG LIVE THE RED 35 MM FISHER- PRICE CAMERA!!!!