The Vest Pocket Kodak & The First World War : Ammonite Press : 9781781452790 : 1781452792 : 07 May 2017 : When one thinks about World War I, one doesn&;t immediately imagine the soldiers recording the horrors of trench warfare by taking snaps with their pocket cameras. But that is exactly what happened. Launched in April 1912, the Vest Pocket Kodak was one of the world&;s first compact cameras. About the height and width of today&;s iPhone, it was small enough to fit into the pocket of a vest and became something of a craze on the eve of the war. It was advertised as the "Soldier&;s Kodak" and troops were encouraged to "Make your own picture record of the War." With the military banning journalists from reporting early setbacks in the war, newspaper editors offered soldiers a prize for their VPK photographs of £1,000&;over ten times a lieutenant&;s salary. The images they preserved offer a remarkably personal viewpoint, and create a fascinating link between the camera and the conflict.