Leica is observing a really historic second in 2025: the One hundredth anniversary of the Leica I digicam. You would possibly know the title Leica, however the introduction of the Leica I used to be greater than only a product launch; it was an occasion that irrevocably altered the panorama of pictures.
Earlier than the Leica I, cameras have been typically cumbersome and cumbersome, limiting the place and the way photographs might be made. When it was unveiled on the Leipzig Commerce Truthful in 1925, the Leica I, as the primary 35mm digicam to be mass-produced, represented a paradigm shift. Its compact, moveable design was a marvel of engineering for its period, providing unprecedented freedom and spontaneity. This innovation did not simply make cameras smaller; it unlocked completely new genres of pictures, empowering people to seize the world round them with an ease beforehand unimaginable. The theme chosen for this centennial yr, “100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century,” aptly encapsulates the model’s profound and enduring function in documenting the human expertise and historic occasions throughout the globe. Leica cameras grew to become extensions of the attention for a lot of who recorded historical past, from grand worldwide occasions to the quiet, on a regular basis moments that outline our lives.
The journey to the Leica I is inseparable from the ingenuity of Oskar Barnack. Barnack, who led the check division at Ernst Leitz Werke, was a visionary. Shortly earlier than the outbreak of World Battle I, he conceived and constructed the “Ur-Leica,” a revolutionary gadget that utilized 35mm customary perforated cinema movie for nonetheless pictures. His concept was elegantly easy but profoundly impactful: a digicam that was compact sufficient to be carried in a jacket pocket, but able to producing high-quality negatives that might be enlarged. This imaginative and prescient, which acquired the essential backing of Ernst Leitz II, aimed to offer a exact and moveable instrument for each seasoned professionals and enthusiastic amateurs to chronicle the total spectrum of life’s occurrences. The “Ur-Leica,” whereas remaining a private gadget for Barnack and now owned by Leica Digital camera AG and never on the market, noticed its pioneering design ideas lay the direct groundwork for the Leica I. Previous the Leica I used to be a small batch of prototypes often called the 0-Sequence.
Two years earlier than the Leica I formally entered manufacturing in 1925, the Ernst Leitz Werke manufactured a number of of those 0-Sequence cameras, with serial numbers operating from 101 to roughly 125. These weren’t initially meant for industrial sale however served to check the market and refine the design that may quickly revolutionize pictures. At this time, the confirmed existence of just about a dozen of those Leica 0-Sequence cameras makes each an virtually legendary artifact. Their rarity, coupled with their standing as direct forerunners of a digicam that modified visible tradition and as essential instruments that helped usher within the age of photojournalism, makes them terribly sought-after by collectors and museums worldwide.
Treasures at Public sale: The Legacy of Early Leicas
In case you are a devoted collector of photographic historical past or just fascinated by these seminal units, the chance to amass a Leica 0-Sequence digicam is exceedingly uncommon, often solely occurring at specialised auctions. The extreme want for these cameras inside the gathering neighborhood is clearly demonstrated by the costs they command. The final three 0-Sequence cameras which have come to public sale every offered for sums exceeding two million Euros.
Leitz Photographica Public sale, working because the official public sale home of Leica Digital camera AG, has grow to be a key venue for these vital gross sales, specializing in classic Leica merchandise and different uncommon photographic gear. Their experience and connection to the Leica heritage convey a novel degree of belief and pleasure to those occasions. In 2018, the public sale home made headlines by establishing a brand new world file for the most costly digicam ever offered when the 0-Sequence No. 122 fetched 2.4 million Euros, together with the customer’s premium. This outstanding file was then dramatically surpassed in 2022. The 0-Sequence No. 105, which notably was Oskar Barnack’s private digicam, was auctioned for an unprecedented 14.4 million Euros (together with the premium), a determine that also stands because the world file.
In celebration of the Leica I’s centenary, Leitz Photographica Public sale is about to current one other of those historic treasures: the Leica 0-Sequence No. 112. The public sale will happen on June twenty seventh, throughout the Leica Century Occasion at Leica Welt, the corporate’s headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany. This particular digicam, now over a century outdated, stands as one of many very first 35mm cameras ever constructed. Its meeting was accomplished in 1923, and considerably, No. 112 was personally inspected and accepted by Oskar Barnack himself. For the public sale, the bidding for Leica O-Sequence No. 112 is slated to start at 800,000 Euros (roughly $872,500 USD). Nevertheless, pre-auction estimates counsel it may attain between 1.5 and a pair of million Euros (roughly $1.6 to $2.2 million USD). Alexander Sedlak, the Managing Director of Leitz Photographica Public sale, highlighted the profound influence these cameras have: “A O-series on the market definitely attracts the eye of the worldwide collector’s scene.” He additional famous that “these prototypes laid the muse for contemporary pictures.” The public sale of such a legendary digicam, particularly throughout the One hundredth-anniversary celebrations, is a very momentous event. The Leica O-Sequence No. 112 was first introduced to the general public throughout Milan Design Week in April 2025, displayed on the Leica Retailer Milano from April 4th. The total public sale catalogue for Leitz Photographica Public sale 46 is about to be launched in Might.
Past the O-Sequence No. 112, the public sale preview in New York, held from Might 2nd to third at Leica’s Pop-Up Gallery (405 West thirteenth Avenue), showcased different extraordinary rarities. Amongst them is the One hundredth Leica digicam serially produced: a Leica I Mod. A with an Anastigmat lens, bearing the serial quantity 225. This digicam was delivered to the British promoting and advertising company Ogilvy in 1925 and is presumed to be the primary Leica to have reached the UK, including a novel piece of distribution historical past to its worth. One other spotlight is an M-series digicam with a particular historical past: the Leica M3 bearing the serial quantity 700,000. This explicit digicam was introduced as a present to Stefan Kruckenhauser, a famend pioneer in sports activities pictures and snowboarding. Kruckenhauser is well known within the photographic neighborhood for his dynamic, richly contrasting photographs of the Austrian mountains and is even considered the “inventor” of Wedeln snowboarding. This M3, bearing the primary serial variety of all M cameras, is an distinctive collector’s merchandise that has been featured in quite a few publications.
A Century of Witnessing: World and Native Celebrations
All through 2025, Leica is orchestrating a sequence of worldwide occasions to mark this historic anniversary. Main cities together with Dubai, Milan, New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo will host cultural initiatives and unveil unique particular product editions. The head of those world festivities would be the anniversary week scheduled for June on the firm’s headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany. Including to the commemorative spirit, the in depth world Leica Gallery community will function high-caliber exhibitions presenting works by famend photographers.
A Dialogue By means of Time: Davidson and Messinger Exhibition
A cornerstone of the New York centennial celebration is the landmark exhibition titled “In Dialog: A Photographic Dialogue Between Yesterday and At this time.” This particular showcase options the work of Leica Corridor of Fame winner Bruce Davidson alongside that of famend modern artist Sara Messinger. The exhibition is being held on the Leica Retailer and Gallery New York (406 W thirteenth St) and runs from Might 1st by means of June fifteenth, 2025. This exhibition is a part of a sequence of twelve such pairings occurring in Leica Galleries worldwide, every linking a up to date expertise with one of many Leica Corridor of Fame winners, fostering a dialog between pictures of the previous and current.
The New York exhibition particularly locations Davidson’s iconic 1959 sequence, “Brooklyn Gang,” in dialogue with Messinger’s modern challenge, “Youngsters.” This juxtaposition creates a compelling dialog throughout many years, centered on the theme of youth. Youngsters have perennially been a topic in pictures, providing glimpses into their ever-evolving but timeless spirit. In 1959, Bruce Davidson, then solely 25 years outdated himself—not a lot older than the youths he depicted—immersed himself on the planet of a Brooklyn gang often called The Jokers. He grew to become a every day photographer of their alienated youth tradition, capturing their lives with an unflinching but empathetic eye. This work advanced into the basic photograph challenge, “Brooklyn Gang,” a set of photographs portraying robust people and difficult lives, which finally captured a potent imaginative and prescient of youth in post-war New York Metropolis. Davidson himself defined the profound connection he fashioned: “Capturing the every day lives of The Jokers allowed me to witness their worry, melancholy, and anger that bonded a lot of them collectively in a time of want.” He added, “I quickly realized that I used to be feeling a few of their ache. In staying near them, I uncovered my very own emotions of failure, frustration, and rage.”
Impressed by Davidson’s immersive strategy, Sara Messinger has devoted the previous 4 years to documenting a bunch of New York Metropolis youth. By embedding herself within the lives of her younger topics, Messinger not solely captures their distinctive tales but additionally embarks on her personal journey of self-discovery, connecting her previous experiences to the untethered, vibrant lives of these she pictures. Messinger acknowledged Davidson’s affect straight: “Bruce Davidson’s Brooklyn Gang left a profound impression on me and finally formed my philosophy as a photographer.” She elaborated, “His method of working by embedding himself on the planet that he was documenting, grew to become pivotal in my very own observe as a photographer. I goal to seize each intimacy and honesty, and thru that, a lot of my topics have additionally grow to be shut private pals over time.”
This highly effective gallery exhibition presents the uncooked, gritty, and emotionally resonant work of each artists. Their pictures lies on the forefront of documentary observe, expressing deep emotion by means of a robust sense of storytelling. By means of their respective lenses, Davidson and Messinger have demonstrated that though vital time separates their initiatives, the open, susceptible, and resilient coronary heart of the New York Metropolis teenager stays a compelling fixed. In case you go to the Leica Retailer & Gallery New York, you’ll have the chance to expertise the enduring legacy of Leica and observe how these two photographers have left an enduring impression on their neighborhood and the broader world of pictures. The exhibition of Sara Messinger’s work was realized with the type assist of WhiteWall, who printed the photographs. The gallery is open Monday by means of Saturday from 10:00 AM to six:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM to five:00 PM.
A Collector’s Piece: The Leica M11 100 Years of Leica “NEW YORK USA”
To additional commemorate this vital anniversary, Leica has launched an unique particular version digicam: the Leica M11 100 Years of Leica “NEW YORK USA”. This mannequin grew to become out there on Might 1st, 2025, and is obtainable for buy solely inside the USA. With a strictly restricted manufacturing run of simply 100 items, this particular version digicam is engraved with the town’s title, “NEW YORK USA,” making it a real rarity for collectors and lovers. The value of this mannequin is $10,695.
This anniversary version of the legendary rangefinder digicam incorporates a number of distinctive options that distinguish it as a collector’s merchandise. A person engraving on the highest plate prominently shows “NEW YORK USA” together with the standard “Leica” script engraving. The digicam boasts a premium shiny black paint end. This end is impressed by historic M-Cameras and is designed to create a particular patina over time – an unmistakable attribute that displays the person story and dealing with of every digicam. A harmonious aesthetic is achieved by means of the mix of silver-chromed management parts, together with the shutter launch button, the on/off swap, and the ISO and velocity dials, all of that are adorned with elaborate and tactile cross knurling. Trendy black cowhide armoring lends an understated magnificence to the digicam; its distinctive texture is a deliberate throwback to the legendary vulcanite leathering discovered on earlier Leica fashions, providing each a refined look and a safe grip. Additional particulars underscore the individuality of this particular version: a black chrome-plated scorching shoe cowl options the anniversary emblem “100”; a refined black screw is used as a substitute of the standard purple Leica emblem on the entrance; every digicam bears a particular serial quantity from 001/100 to 100/100; and a certificates of authenticity accompanies every unit.
The Leica M11 100 Years of Leica can even be launched in 5 different distinctive country-specific variations, every additionally restricted to simply 100 items. These editions are “MILAN ITALY,” “DUBAI UAE,” “SHANGHAI CHINA,” “TOKYO JAPAN,” and “WETZLAR GERMANY.” Every of those releases will function distinctive engravings and particular serial numbers, making them true collector’s objects, and they are going to be out there solely for buy of their respective nations.
A Dialog With Leica
We spoke with Andrea Pacella, Leica’s VP of World Advertising and marketing & Communication, about Leica’s previous and future.
1. How has Leica’s authentic imaginative and prescient of pictures advanced?
If we actually contemplate the unique imaginative and prescient of Oskar Barnack and Ernst Leitz II—which was about giving photographers, each professionals and easy amateurs, a instrument sufficiently small and exact sufficient to have the ability to witness the occasions of life, each the historic ones and the small ones of everybody’s life—this imaginative and prescient has not modified. Know-how has allowed the creation of cameras and lenses which can be at all times higher, however the spirit has stayed the identical, as confirmed by our precise model marketing campaign, “The World Deserves Witnesses.”
2. Leica cameras captured many historic moments; which pictures or occasions most vividly signify the legacy of Leica?
I’ll say Eisenstaedt’s image of the sailor kissing the nurse in Occasions Sq. on V-J Day in 1945, or Mahatma Gandhi’s funeral shot by Cartier-Bresson, however the legacy of Leica just isn’t constructed on a single image. Fairly, in the event you have a look at the historical past of the 20 th century, virtually all the photographs that outline it have been shot on a Leica.
3. Leica is synonymous with precision engineering. What ideas have remained unchanged in Leica’s craftsmanship over 100 years?
The precept that innovation should create a transparent profit for the shopper, the try for perfection in each mechanical, optical, and digital component of our cameras and lenses, the handmade precision craftsmanship strategy, and above all, the focus on the important, represented by our motto, “Das Wesentliche.”
4. How does Leica stability custom with innovation in at the moment’s quickly evolving pictures business?
For me, custom is nothing however a sequence of coherent improvements. The Leica M11 remains to be closely based mostly on the Leica M3 of 1954, of which it’s an unimaginable evolution—good for the wants of at the moment’s photographers.
5. Leica sensors are famend for a particular aesthetic-how intentional is that this look, and what goes into growing it?
It’s distinctive as a result of it’s as near actuality as doable. Once we began making digital cameras, the aim was to be as near the basic movie look as doable, to make footage and their colours pure.
6. Leica has a passionate and dependable neighborhood. What do you consider fosters such an emotional connection to the model?
A Leica just isn’t solely a instrument you utilize to take footage. It’s an object you have a tendency to like and cherish—one thing that goes with you a very long time in life, one thing handed from one era to a different. The sense of neighborhood relies on the pleasure of discovering others who share the identical emotions. When two strangers, every with a Leica, occur to satisfy wherever on the planet, it’s extremely seemingly that they cease and speak, make acquaintance, or no less than alternate a nod and a smile.
7. How has consumer suggestions particularly influenced the event of latest Leica digicam fashions?
We maintain a steady reference to photographers who use our cameras. We take heed to them, attempt to perceive their wants, be taught their photographic approaches, and thru this we then goal our analysis and growth to attempt to fulfill their expectations.
8. May you focus on Leica’s strategy to collaborating with modern photographers and artists?
It’s an ongoing course of, based mostly on friendship and mutual respect. Certainly one of our basic values is authenticity, and that is the idea of each relationship. We don’t give significance to the celebrity or followers of the artists we collaborate with, however solely to their high quality—first as individuals, after which as artists—and to their love for our cameras and our model.
9. Leica cameras are recognized for his or her sturdiness. How essential is sustainability in your product lifecycle strategy?
Sustainability is key, and confirmed by the truth that you should utilize lenses made 70 or 80 years in the past with at the moment’s cameras with no downside, and that we will nonetheless restore cameras and lenses made within the ’50s and ’60s. Furthermore, the lengthy lifecycle of our cameras—round 4 or 5 years between one mannequin and its successor—is a assure for our prospects to maintain the worth of their buy excessive and steady over time.
10. Within the period of smartphone pictures dominance, how does Leica appeal to new generations of photographers?
We’re not scared by the predominance of smartphone pictures at the moment. We predict that every little thing that helps foster the love for pictures is optimistic, and that is confirmed by the launch we only in the near past fabricated from the LUX app for iOS, developed to assist create beautiful photographs in Leica fashion with a easy iPhone.
11. Which Leica digicam or lens launch marked essentially the most pivotal second in your latest historical past?
Defining “latest” in an organization celebrating its 100 years of promoting cameras (and over 150 years of life…) just isn’t simple. Allow us to say that probably the most pivotal moments was the launch of the Leica M9 in 2009, when Leica—lastly, after some years of difficulties—made it again in the marketplace with a product lastly as much as the expectations of its purchasers within the new digital pictures world.
12. Are you able to focus on the philosophy behind your limited-edition cameras and collaborations, and their significance to your model?
As mentioned earlier than, for a lot of of our prospects Leica cameras are additionally objects of want—one thing they like to personal and gather. Our particular editions are at all times restricted runs of cameras or lenses that pay homage to our legacy, and as such, they contribute to preserving this legacy alive. Model collaborations, however, come from alternatives to work with designers we admire, or manufacturers with whom we share values and philosophies, to provide new interpretations to our merchandise and make them attention-grabbing for brand spanking new audiences.
13. How essential is photographic schooling and philanthropy to Leica, and what initiatives does Leica assist in coaching and nurturing new expertise?
Photographic schooling is key to rising understanding and fervour for pictures, and there we will rely on our Leica Academy, which is now established worldwide. Alternatively, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award—and particularly its Newcomer Award—fulfill the function of supporting the work of photographers and fostering the expansion of latest skills.
14. Wanting ahead, what technological improvements excite Leica’s growth group most?
The following frontier is to grasp how AI can grow to be a assist for the event of pictures and never solely a risk. We’re already forward on this subject, as we have now been the primary model to combine Adobe’s Content material Authenticity Initiative in our cameras, and we stay extremely attentive to each innovation developing out there.
15. As Leica celebrates its One hundredth anniversary, what does this milestone imply to you personally and to the model as an entire?
For me personally, it’s an honor and an enormous accountability to be driving the communication of such a prestigious model in such a pivotal second in its historical past. I am positively fortunate to have such a process to satisfy. For the model, it’s a second to strategy with satisfaction and a way of achievement, but additionally with nice dedication to what would be the highway forward.
16. In case you may choose one Leica digicam to signify the spirit of the model’s first century, which mannequin would it not be and why?
It may simply be the Leica I, which represented the revolution in pictures, or the Leica M3, which began the legacy of the M system in 1954. However I’d most likely select the Leica M6—essentially the most profitable and doubtless nonetheless essentially the most beloved Leica digicam ever.
17. What do you hope photographers and Leica lovers will keep in mind or recognize most about Leica in one other 100 years?
Our love, dedication, and dedication to pictures for over one century.
The Enduring Philosophy: ‘Das Wesentliche’ and Past
Leica’s enduring attraction and its century of success are deeply rooted in a core philosophy encapsulated by the German phrase “Das Wesentliche,” which interprets to “the important.” This precept just isn’t merely a advertising slogan; it’s a guiding mild for the corporate’s strategy to design, engineering, and the very expertise of pictures. It signifies a relentless focus on what actually issues, stripping away the superfluous to ship instruments which can be each extremely useful and intuitively usable. This philosophy mandates that each innovation should create a transparent and tangible profit for you, the individual utilizing the digicam. It drives the unwavering pursuit of perfection in each mechanical, optical, and digital part of their cameras and lenses. The dedication to a hand-crafted, precision craftsmanship strategy is one other pillar of this philosophy, making certain that every Leica product is not only manufactured, however meticulously created.
This dedication to distinctive high quality and quintessential German craftsmanship, seamlessly built-in with modern know-how, has been the hallmark of the Leica model for over 150 years, even predating the Leica I digicam. Leica Digital camera AG stays headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany, the birthplace of the Leica story, and operates a second manufacturing facility in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, making certain that its excessive requirements are maintained throughout its manufacturing operations. The corporate has additionally strategically expanded its experience into associated fields, together with cellular imaging by means of partnerships for smartphones, high-quality eyeglass lenses, watch manufacturing, and even the house cinema phase with its personal projectors.
An important and integral a part of the Leica model’s tradition is its profound and lively dedication to fostering photographic tradition worldwide. This dedication just isn’t passive; it’s expressed by means of quite a lot of initiatives. The roughly 30 Leica Galleries function essential cultural mediators, showcasing a dynamic stability of up to date pictures and the timeless works of previous icons. These galleries tackle vital social accountability by selling artwork and data.
The Leica Akademie, established worldwide, proceed the model’s storied custom of photographic schooling, providing immersive, hands-on workshops designed to develop understanding and fervour for the medium. Moreover, Leica helps and nurtures expertise by means of prestigious worldwide awards just like the Leica Corridor of Fame Award, which honors photographers who’ve made excellent contributions to the model and the medium, and the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA). The LOBA, notably its Newcomer Award, performs a vital function in supporting the work of rising image-makers and fostering the expansion of latest skills within the subject.
For these within the heritage and preservation of those historic devices, Leica Digital camera Classics, a specialised department positioned in Vienna, Austria, performs a novel function. This facility focuses on classic cameras, with a formidable show of roughly 1,500 units in its retailer at Westbahnstraße 40. Critically, it additionally homes the biggest spare components warehouse for historic Leica cameras on the planet. This unparalleled stock permits on-site technicians to examine historic Leica cameras to the best collector requirements and, when needed, restore them with genuine parts earlier than they’re provided on the prestigious Leitz Photographica Public sale. This public sale, organized twice a yr in June and November by Leica Digital camera Classics, is broadly considered the world’s most essential public sale of classic cameras, attracting bidders from over 100 nations. Along with auctions, round 5,000 merchandise are completely provided within the LCC on-line retailer.
Echoes of Historical past: Iconic Photographs Captured With Leica Cameras
The legacy of Leica is inextricably linked to the numerous iconic photographs which were captured with its cameras over the previous century. These pictures aren’t simply footage; they’re visible markers of historical past, tradition, and human emotion. As Pacella famous, in the event you look at the historical past of the 20 th century, an enormous variety of the pictures that outline that period have been shot on a Leica. This underscores the profound influence these compact, dependable cameras had within the fingers of those that witnessed and documented the world. Certainly one of my private favorites, Robert Capa, was an enormous Leica consumer.
Examples of such traditionally vital photographs which can be a part of Leica’s narrated visible historical past embrace:
- Franz Hubmann’s “Stammgast im Café Hawelka, Wien, 1956/57,” out there in its authentic type at Image Alliance.
- Jewgeni Chaldej’s highly effective “Die Flagge des Sieges, 1945,” additionally out there in authentic at Image Alliance.
- Thomas Hoepker’s depiction of “Muhammad Ali, Chicago, 1966,” out there at Image Alliance displaying Hoepker with the work in an exhibition.
- Elliott Erwitt’s “New York Metropolis, 1974,” featured at Image Alliance with a customer in an exhibition.
- Robert Capa’s “Loss of life of a Loyalist Soldier, 1936,” proven in an exhibition context by means of Getty Photographs and Image Alliance.
- Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “The Banks of the Marne, 1938,” depicted in an exhibition setting by way of Getty Photographs.
- Alfred Eisenstaedt’s “VJ Day, Occasions Sq., NY, August 14, 1945,” out there by means of Getty Photographs (displaying Edith Shain) and Image Alliance (displaying Carl Muscarello) in exhibition contexts.
- René Burri’s “San Cristóbal, Mexico, 1976,” proven with the photographer at Image Alliance.
These photographs, and numerous others, are a testomony to Oskar Barnack’s authentic imaginative and prescient: to offer a instrument that may empower people to grow to be witnesses to their occasions. The legacy of Leica is not only within the cameras themselves, however within the enduring energy of the pictures they helped create.
All photographs used with permisson of Leica.
