Bob Blank’s Camera: Unlocking Memories in a Kodak Medalist II
Disclaimer - this is going to be a bit of a long post. I suggest that you pour your favorite drink, sit down, and prepare to stay for a bit.
When I purchase an old film camera, my imagination always wanders to consider the life it may had led before it came into my hands. What moments did it capture? What were the stories about its owner? I will admit, it’s a bit “Walter Mitty”, but as that is one of my all-time favorite movies, I deserve a pass.
Usually its impossible to know a camera’s true past, but every once in a while I get lucky and know the history of the camera and its prior owner(s). The old Voigtlander Bessa that was carried by a US soldier during several campaigns is a good example of such luck. This was a case where the owner’s son offered me the camera along with some images and history from its action in WWII. It’s not often that one comes into possession of a camera that photographed the capture of Adolf Hitler’s Eagles Nest.
Kodak Medalist II - The “EO” in the lens serial# indicates this is a post-war 1946 model.
In the past, a professional-level camera was a HUGE purchase financially, so much so that often people would engrave or write their names on the camera and/or the case. I have purchased several cameras in the past with names and addresses on them, but they never lead anywhere when I try to play detective.
For many years, I have been jonesing for a Kodak Medalist camera. They are gorgeous cameras designed during WW2, and were put into service with the US Navy and also British forces. Some regard them as the epitome of Kodak camera development and design. After the war, the Medalist II evolved for non-military professionals in the general public. It was very much the same camera, but with a silver barrel instead of black, some different writing on the viewfinder and zone focus wheel, and the removal of the fine focus nob. I found a Medalist II on eBay and purchased it in the late summer of 2025. I immediately removed the brown leather case and put it away like I always do, because in practice I don’t like cases, and also I don’t want to damage them further by using them in the field. Old leather cases tend to be very fragile. I did a thorough cleaning and lubricated the troublesome points, and then ran through all of the f-stops and shutter speeds to ensure that it worked properly. Success! After that I attached a modern strap and went out to shoot with it. More on that in a later post.
It was only months later that I happened to notice some writing on the case when I was cleaning and organizing my camera gear.
Kodak Medalist II Case - “BOB BLANK, BOX 156 – Tel. 2194-M – Lawrence, Kansas”
“BOB BLANK, BOX 156 – Tel. 2194-M – Lawrence, Kansas”
Hmm.
As I usually do, the next rainy day I spent some time doing computer research, and fell down quite the deep rabbit hole. There in fact was a Bob Blank in Lawrence, Kansas who was a photographer that also happened to own his own studio and camera store. The first thing I found was his obituary when he passed away in 2012.
Here’s what I’ve learned from my research:
Image of the Blank House - courtesy of the Lawrence Modern Website
Robert “Bob” Blank served in the US Army and retired at the rank of sergeant in 1953. He then went on to have built a stunning mid-century-modern house that same year.
He took images of the house in 1953 near the end of the construction. Based on the look, size ratio, and feel of the images I’m fairly certain they were shot on the Medalist II that I have in my possession now. And probably on Kodak Verichrome film, given the look of the sky. The timing works out right for it to be that camera and film. The images below are from the Lawrence Modern Website with the link below them for the original page. Click on the first image to open in a new window and scroll through.
Hixon Studio & Camera Shop - image courtesy of Kansas University Library
Mr. Blank then went on to purchase a famous photo studio and camera store in Lawrence, Kansas named Hixon Studio & Camera Shop. He owned and operated Hixon Studios in Lawrence for more than 40 years, having purchased it from Orval Hixon. Blank operated the shop at 721 Massachusetts Street until its closure in the 1990’s. During that time he photographed a lot of people, some of them well-known. He is highly regarded for capturing iconic photographs of the famed Beat writer William S. Burroughs during a session in 1983, which are now archived in the University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library. His images of Burroughs were not captured on the Medalist II camera, rather on a 8×10 large format camera of some sort.
The Burroughs images were featured in a 2015 book project entitled “7786-Burroughs, Wm.”, led by Patrick Clement. The “7786” number was the number in Blank’s journal for the most famous of the several images of Burroughs. The book was financed via Kickstarter, with very limited quantities produced. Based on the Kickstarter page, my estimate is that less than 150 copies were made.
Ledger image from the 7786-Burroughs, Wm Kickstarter page (also featured in the book)
Continuing down the rabbit hole, I searched and found online a small bookstore named Wayside Books in Southeast Kansas that had one copy in stock, and ordered it right away. A few days later the book arrived, and I got my confirmation that the camera did indeed belong to the same Robert Blank when I saw his handwriting in the photo ledger image in the book that matched the handwriting inside of the camera’s leather case. To hold this book in my hands, and see the printed images of the former owner, and know the handwriting was the same as what was on the camera case of the Medalist was a feeling that’s difficult to put into words.
Connections can sometimes hit hard.
Knowing the history of the owner, I began to wonder how I ended up with this camera. Yes, I know cameras are just tools and I would imagine that when I pass, my family will be upset at the task of selling them off, donating them to a local school, or just setting up some sketchy meeting via Craigslist. But someone who led a life like Bob Blank - the fact that the camera just ended up on eBay was sad. I’ll admit a bit of personal emotional projection is at play with that statement. So I sent a note to the eBay seller that I purchased it from and asked them what they knew about it. The store was located near Lawrence, Kansas so the camera didn’t go far until it made it to me. After a few months, the seller responded that they had no info other than they bought it at an estate sale in 2025. Very anti-climactic, unfortunately.
I did find in my research that Mr. Blank had a son, named Robert “Rob” Blank. He was a bit of an eccentric, well-loved artist in Lawrence, Kansas. Rob Blank passed away in January 2025. My guess is that the camera was sold as part of his estate after his passing, and that he owned the camera because his father had passed it down to him at some point. Or maybe like me, when I see another camera that I am interested in and need to cull “the herd”, Bob Blank just eventually moved on to the next camera and the Medalist was sold or passed on to a customer to continue using it. And eventually that customer sold it to another person, and so on, and so on. I doubt we will ever know. In my head, I picture Bob Blank telling his son, or the new owner, how much the camera meant to him and the moments it captured, and to treat it with the care that it deserves.
I’ve thought about reaching out to the remaining Blank family to let them know I have the camera, but I’m not certain if that would be weird or if they would even care. Maybe to them its just a camera. Or maybe it means more. Time will tell if I decide to reach out. Just putting this out there into the world may be enough.
I’ve now shot several rolls with the camera, and plan on doing a full review of it in a later blogpost. For now I hope you’ve enjoyed this little trip back in history.
As always, thanks for reading!
Jeremy
PS - below are some additional images of the Medalist II. In the coming months, look for an in-depth review and images from my time using this camera.
