Manufactured or assembled in USA from 1939 to (After) 1942.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 1406

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Chronology of cameras Irwin 

"Sardine Can" is a type of camera whose body resembles a sardine can. These are Candid Type cameras, meaning they are small-format cameras that are very simple to use. They use 127 film, and the negatives measure 3 x 4 cm.
There are two forms, presumably successive. The first, referred to as the "original," is so close to a real sardine can that one might wonder where the key is to open it. The front face is often riveted, presenting a different decoration from the rest of the camera. The second form has slightly tapered ends.

Not all backs are interchangeable because, within a few millimeters, they do not have the same dimensions, and especially not the same closing system.

In all cases, the lens is mounted on a fixed tube, secured by two screws with visible slotted heads on either side of the lens. By removing these screws, one can separate from the tube an assembly consisting of the decorative round plate, a metal part molded and serrated around the edge, and the shutter. The meniscus is attached to the molded part. A foundry mark is visible inside it, with the inscription "Newton." The disassembled model did not have the aperture selection but an unnecessary hole on the molded part corresponds to the pivot of the aperture selection slider.
The assembly resembles what is found on cameras manufactured in Chicago by Galter, but metal is used where Galter uses plastic.

Historically, Sardine Can cameras are associated with three brands, but it is likely that the manufacturer was unique. Irwin Corp. was a well-known toy manufacturer in the United States.

Model			Shape	Lens	Settings	Back lock
Irwin	Lark		Original	Achromat f/7,7	Choice T, I Choice 4 apertures
	Lark		Evol	Eyvar 50 mm		Par pression
	Lark		Original			One screw
	Kandor		Evol			Lock around viewfinder	Flanges extending from both spool axes, one of them equipped with a tripod screw nut
	Kandor Jr		Evolution
	Kandor Deluxe		Original	-	Choice T, I Choice 4 apertures		Flanges extending from both spool axes
	Kandor Komet		Original	-	Choice T, I Choice 3 apertures
Sunbeam Camera Co.	Sunbeam		Evol	-	Choice T, I
Utility Mfg	Falcon Miniature		Original	Wollensak 50 mm	Choice T, I
Lomography	La Sardina		A contemporary counterpart to the vintage Sardine Can camera, designed for 135 film and constructed from plastic

What is the origin of this dead branch in the family tree of cameras? No one really knows, but one day, in the early 2000s, when I was missing Brittany, I wrote the following lines:

One autumn day in 1934, the American destroyer USS Grant made a stop near Douarnenez due to an engine malfunction. It was originally supposed to participate in a naval parade in the nearby Brest harbor. On board was Seaman Second Class Irwin, a photography enthusiast whose dream was to build his own camera. The problem was that a sailor's salary in the US Navy doesn't take one far in realizing dreams. During the repair time, the sailors strolled through the sloping streets of Douarnenez. Some fell under the charm of the Penn Sardin, including Seaman Irwin. His sweetheart invited him to visit the factory where she worked, packaging the excellent sardines caught in Douarnenez. Irwin, during the visit, was amazed by the format of the sardine cans used in Brittany and France. The sailor, being fickle, a few days later, met a lace maker from Tréboul. While visiting the young lady, he noticed the spools of thread, with wooden axles that flared at both ends. A sunstroke (or the excess consumption of cider brandy—the story does not keep a precise record) led Irwin to associate sardine cans and thread spools to create a camera (!).

Back in the USA, having left behind the false hopes of the young Breton women, Irwin finished his time in the Navy. In the meantime, the photographic industry had developed in Chicago (with the end of prohibition, they had to find something to do in that town), and that's where Irwin sought some associates in need of money laundering. Thus, the Chicago mafia organized a sardine can trafficking operation between Douarnenez and the USA to manufacture these cameras. However, the lenses were manufactured in Chicago. To deceive the FBI, they were labeled as being from New York, not Chicago. Elliot Ness held a grudge.

In a few lines, here is the little-known story of the Sardine Can Camera. I got it from my great-grandfather, a sardine fisherman from Douarnenez, and I'm giving it to you exclusively.


This story is... just a story, nothing but a story, proving that with conviction, you can tell any nonsense on the internet. This one is a beauty. Excuse the delirium.



Despite the last sentence, some took the story seriously, and from one website to another, this delirium became the "real" history of the Sardine Can, while others, more skeptical, refer to it as a legend. Although I'm Breton, I didn't have family in Douarnenez, there was no Seaman Irwin, and no mafia story. I just have great admiration for Penn sardines and their place in the labor struggles of the 1920s... and besides, I love sardines, whether grilled or canned.

Regarding Lomography cameras, one of the items in my collection, photographed from every angle, served as a model for the creation of La Sardina.

__________

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