Cameras we owned way before the 1970s | Brief letters

A Kodak ‘Box Brownie’ camera from the 1930s. Photograph: Nick Scott/Cameras/Alamy View image in fullscreen A Kodak ‘Box Brownie’ camera from the 1930s. Photograph: Nick Scott/Cameras/Alamy Letters Cameras we owned way before the 1970s Snapshot in time | Dorothy Whipple’s home | Reading writers | Nominative determinism on letters | Hope of rain I was astounded ’s comment that “Most people didn’t own cameras” in the 1970s (‘It looked stunning on Joanna Lumley!’, 25 August). This might have been true in the early 20th century, but even my mother, born in 1916, had her faithful Box Brownie, with which she took photos of family and friends in the 40s and 50s, and later I was taking slides on an Agfa Silette 35mm in the 1960s. Marie Paterson Nuneaton, Warwickshire Re your editorial on writers’ abodes (18 August) and Michael Wild’s letter (20 August), I should like to point out that a cottage on the Newstead Abbey estate was the home of the bestselling novelist Dorothy Whipple for several years in the 1930s, and is the setting for her 1939 novel, The Priory. Jeremy Hilton Bridport, Dorset “Nothing can beat stepping inside the world of a writer ,” says Dr David Rudrum (Letters, 25 August). One thing can: reading their work. Neil Corcoran Emeritus professor of English literature, University of Liverpool Looking at the names of letter writers on 24 August – Bert Love on hope and positivity and Brian Fish talking about food standards – it seems to me that you should only print letters from people with appropriate names. Alan Wordsworth Cheltenham, Gloucestershire TV presenters often say there is a “risk” of rain in the UK. After several weeks of Saharan heat and drought, perhaps they should start saying there is “hope” of rain. Dan Hartley Solihull, West Midlands Explore more on these topicsPhotography Brief letters Heritage The Guardian Literacy UK weather Television National newspapers letters Share Reuse this content Most viewed Most viewed