My First Camera!

I saw this camera sitting on a desk in the room we stayed in, in Los Angeles. It was my first camera! Wow! Hadn't thought about this camera in years and years. But seeing it really took me back. The first camera I used was my mom's Kodak Vigilant 620 folding camera. I remember that the shutter stopped working, and I took it to the camera shop for repairs, and they said that they "lost it." I am not sure what happened, but the camera was first made in 1939 and I think that maybe in the 50's when I was using it, that it was a collector's item. We couldn't afford a replacement, so I was out of business for a while. I finally got my Brownie Hawkeye in a most unusual way. I was hit by a car! Well, actually, I was knocked down by a car as it was backing up. I had a terrible gash in my head, and one ear, and so ended up in the hospital. Naturally people sent cards with money in them, and when I got out, I bought my very own camera! I loved it because it was "modern" and easy to use. I am not sure how long I had it - several years I think - but my mom borrowed it, and was standing on a speedboat taking a picture, and the owner carelessly gunned the engine and she nearly fell overboard! Fortunately she was unhurt, but the Hawkeye went overboard, and that was the end of it.