Kodak 2-D Serial Number -- Date info?

[BradS]

I have recently been bringing a very well used 8x10 Kodak 2-D back to life from long period of neglect. The camera is really in pretty nice condition and after cleaning it up and using it a little bit, I'm curious about when it was made.

The serial number is: 452499 and the little identifying plate on the front reads.....

Kodak View Camera
No. 2-D
Manufactured in USA for
Eastman Kodak Co.
by
GRAFLEX INC.
Rochester 8, New York USA

I'm guessing that this dates it to sometime between 1946 and 1955 but would like to pin it down a little bit...can anybody narrow down the date of manufacture?

[Glenn Thoreson]

If you dig around on the graflex.org site you can find when the name Graflex, Inc. was used or initiated. After Kodak acquired Graflex, the name went through several changes. If I'm correct, Graflex, Inc. was the second, after Folmer Graflex Division of Eastman Kodak. The time span between the various names may help narrow it down a bit. Lots of info there, so it may take lots of searching and patience.

[BradS]

Thanks Glen. The date range I mentioned in the OP is as close as I could get from the info at graflex.org

I was hoping somebody had more info.

[Mark Sampson]

Reading this, I was wondering if the 2-D was produced post-WWII. There was the Kodak Commercial View, basically an 8x10 2-D in magnesium, and the familiar Kodak Master 8x10, which you might think would cover the market... why don't you ask Todd Gustavson at the George Eastman House? I know Kodak donated their patent museum to GEH, perhaps the production records came with.

[RichSBV]

452499 is from a lot of 300 starting at number 452330 in December of 1947. When it was actually made is anyone's guess...

[BradS]

452499 is from a lot of 300 starting at number 452330 in December of 1947. When it was actually made is anyone's guess...

Excellent! Thank you Rich.

[Drew Bedo]

I looked in my McKeowen's for 2002 and found the following:

FOLMER&SCHWING
Folmer & Schwing (NYC), 1887.
Folmer & Schwing Mfg. Co. (NYC), 1890.
Folmer & Schwing Mfg. Co. of New York,
1903.
Folmer & Schwing Co., Rochester (EKC),
1905.
Folmer & Schwing Div. of EKC, 1907.
Folmer & Schwing Dept. of EKC, 1917.
Folmer-Graflex Corp., 1926.
Graflex, Inc., 1945.

I know its not specific to the 2-D...
Hope this is some help.