A Century Through the Lens: Celebrating 100 Years of Leica, Featuring Exclusive Interview Insights

Leica is watching a in reality historical second in 2025: the 100th anniversary of the Leica I digicam. You may know the title Leica, however the advent of the Leica I used to be greater than only a product release; it used to be an tournament that irrevocably altered the panorama of images. 

Before the Leica I, cameras had been steadily cumbersome and bulky, restricting the place and the way photographs may well be made. When it used to be unveiled on the Leipzig Trade Fair in 1925, the Leica I, as the primary 35mm digicam to be industrially produced, represented a paradigm shift. Its compact, transportable design used to be a surprise of engineering for its generation, providing unparalleled freedom and spontaneity. This innovation did not simply make cameras smaller; it unlocked fully new genres of images, empowering folks to seize the sector round them with an ease up to now unattainable. The theme selected for this centennial yr, “100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century,” aptly encapsulates the emblem’s profound and enduring function in documenting the human enjoy and historic occasions around the globe. Leica cameras was extensions of the attention for individuals who recorded historical past, from grand world occasions to the quiet, on a regular basis moments that outline our lives.

The adventure to the Leica I is inseparable from the ingenuity of Oskar Barnack. Barnack, who led the take a look at division at Ernst Leitz Werke, used to be a visionary. Shortly prior to the outbreak of World War I, he conceived and built the “Ur-Leica,” a modern instrument that applied 35mm same old perforated cinema movie for nonetheless images. His concept used to be elegantly easy but profoundly impactful: a digicam that used to be compact sufficient to be carried in a jacket pocket, but able to generating fine quality negatives that may be enlarged. This imaginative and prescient, which gained the a very powerful backing of Ernst Leitz II, aimed to offer an exact and conveyable tool for each seasoned execs and enthusiastic amateurs to chronicle the whole spectrum of existence’s occurrences. The “Ur-Leica,” whilst final a non-public instrument for Barnack and now owned by way of Leica Camera AG and now not on the market, noticed its pioneering design ideas lay the direct groundwork for the Leica I. Preceding the Leica I used to be a small batch of prototypes referred to as the 0-Series.

Two years prior to the Leica I formally entered manufacturing in 1925, the Ernst Leitz Werke manufactured a couple of of those 0-Series cameras, with serial numbers operating from 101 to roughly 125. These weren’t to start with meant for business sale however served to check the marketplace and refine the design that may quickly revolutionize images. Today, the showed life of virtually a dozen of those Leica 0-Series cameras makes each and every one a nearly legendary artifact. Their rarity, coupled with their standing as direct forerunners of a digicam that modified visible tradition and as a very powerful gear that helped usher within the age of photojournalism, makes them extremely sought-after by way of creditors and museums international.

Treasures at Auction: The Legacy of Early Leicas

If you’re a devoted collector of photographic historical past or just serious about those seminal units, the chance to obtain a Leica 0-Series digicam is exceedingly uncommon, most often best going on at specialised auctions. The intense want for those cameras inside the gathering neighborhood is obviously demonstrated by way of the costs they command. The closing 3 0-Series cameras that experience come to public sale each and every offered for sums exceeding two million Euros.

Leitz Photographica Auction, running because the professional public sale space of Leica Camera AG, has turn into a key venue for those vital gross sales, focusing on antique Leica merchandise and different uncommon photographic apparatus. Their experience and connection to the Leica heritage convey a singular degree of agree with and pleasure to those occasions. In 2018, the public sale space made headlines by way of organising a brand new international document for the costliest digicam ever offered when the 0-Series No. 122 fetched 2.4 million Euros, together with the patron’s top class. This exceptional document used to be then dramatically surpassed in 2022. The 0-Series No. 105, which particularly used to be Oskar Barnack’s non-public digicam, used to be auctioned for an unparalleled 14.4 million Euros (together with the top class), a determine that also stands as the sector document.

In party of the Leica I’s centenary, Leitz Photographica Auction is ready to provide any other of those historical treasures: the Leica 0-Series No. 112. The public sale will happen on June 27th, right through the Leica Century Event at Leica Welt, the corporate’s headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany. This particular digicam, now over a century previous, stands as some of the first actual 35mm cameras ever built. Its meeting used to be finished in 1923, and considerably, No. 112 used to be in my opinion inspected and permitted by way of Oskar Barnack himself. For the public sale, the bidding for Leica O-Series No. 112 is slated to start out at 800,000 Euros (roughly $872,500 USD). However, pre-auction estimates recommend it might achieve between 1.5 and 2 million Euros (roughly $1.6 to $2.2 million USD). Alexander Sedlak, the Managing Director of Leitz Photographica Auction, highlighted the profound have an effect on those cameras have: “A O-series for sale certainly draws the attention of the international collector’s scene.” He additional famous that “these prototypes laid the foundation for modern photography.” The public sale of one of these mythical digicam, particularly right through the 100th-anniversary celebrations, is a specifically momentous instance. The Leica O-Series No. 112 used to be first introduced to the general public right through Milan Design Week in April 2025, displayed on the Leica Store Milano from April 4th. The complete public sale catalogue for Leitz Photographica Auction 46 is ready to be launched in May.

Beyond the O-Series No. 112, the public sale preview in New York, held from May second to third at Leica’s Pop-Up Gallery (405 West 13th Street), showcased different abnormal rarities. Among them is the 100th Leica digicam serially produced: a Leica I Mod. A with an Anastigmat lens, bearing the serial quantity 225. This digicam used to be brought to the British promoting and advertising and marketing company Ogilvy in 1925 and is presumed to be the primary Leica to have reached the United Kingdom, including a singular piece of distribution historical past to its worth. Another spotlight is an M-series digicam with a different historical past: the Leica M3 bearing the serial quantity 700,000. This explicit digicam used to be introduced as a present to Stefan Kruckenhauser, a famend pioneer in sports activities images and snowboarding. Kruckenhauser is widely 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 selection of all M cameras, is an outstanding collector’s merchandise that has been featured in a large number of publications.

A Century of Witnessing: Global and Local Celebrations

Throughout 2025, Leica is orchestrating a sequence of world occasions to mark this historical anniversary. Major towns together with Dubai, Milan, New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo will host cultural tasks and unveil unique particular product editions. The pinnacle of those world festivities would be the anniversary week scheduled for June on the corporate’s headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany. Adding to the commemorative spirit, the in depth world Leica Gallery community will function high-caliber exhibitions presenting works by way of famend photographers.

A Dialogue Through Time: Davidson and Messinger Exhibition

A cornerstone of the New York centennial party is the landmark exhibition titled “In Conversation: A Photographic Dialogue Between Yesterday and Today.” This particular exhibit options the paintings of Leica Hall of Fame winner Bruce Davidson along that of famend recent artist Sara Messinger. The exhibition is being held on the Leica Store and Gallery New York (406 W 13th St) and runs from May 1st thru June 15th, 2025. This exhibition is a part of a sequence of twelve such pairings taking place in Leica Galleries international, each and every linking a modern ability with some of the Leica Hall of Fame winners, fostering a dialog between images of the previous and provide.

The New York exhibition particularly puts Davidson’s iconic 1959 collection, “Brooklyn Gang,” in discussion with Messinger’s recent undertaking, “Teenagers.” This juxtaposition creates a compelling dialog throughout a long time, targeted at the theme of youngster. Teenagers have perennially been an issue in images, providing glimpses into their ever-evolving but undying spirit. In 1959, Bruce Davidson, then best 25 years previous himself—now not a lot older than the youths he depicted—immersed himself on this planet of a Brooklyn gang referred to as The Jokers. He was a day by day photographer in their alienated formative years tradition, taking pictures their lives with an unflinching but empathetic eye. This paintings advanced into the vintage picture undertaking, “Brooklyn Gang,” a choice of photographs portraying difficult folks and difficult lives, which in the long run captured a potent imaginative and prescient of youngster in post-war New York City. Davidson himself defined the profound connection he shaped: “Capturing the daily lives of The Jokers allowed me to witness their fear, depression, and anger that bonded many of them together in a time of need.” He added, “I soon realized that I was feeling some of their pain. In staying close to them, I uncovered my own feelings of failure, frustration, and rage.”

Inspired by way of Davidson’s immersive way, Sara Messinger has devoted the previous 4 years to documenting a gaggle of New York City formative years. By embedding herself within the lives of her younger topics, Messinger now not best captures their distinctive tales but additionally embarks on her personal adventure of self-discovery, connecting her previous studies to the untethered, colourful lives of the ones she images. Messinger said Davidson’s affect at once: “Bruce Davidson’s Brooklyn Gang left a profound impression on me and ultimately shaped my philosophy as a photographer.” She elaborated, “His way of working by embedding himself in the world that he was documenting, became pivotal in my own practice as a photographer. I aim to capture both intimacy and honesty, and through that, many of my subjects have also become close personal friends over time.”

This robust gallery exhibition gifts the uncooked, gritty, and emotionally resonant paintings of each artists. Their images lies at the leading edge of documentary apply, expressing deep emotion thru a powerful sense of storytelling. Through their respective lenses, Davidson and Messinger have demonstrated that despite the fact that vital time separates their tasks, the open, inclined, and resilient center of the New York City youngster stays a compelling consistent. If you talk over with the Leica Store & Gallery New York, you’re going to have the option to enjoy the long-lasting legacy of Leica and apply how those two photographers have left a long-lasting impact on their neighborhood and the wider international of images. The exhibition of Sara Messinger’s paintings used to be learned with the sort fortify of WhiteWall, who published the pictures. The gallery is open Monday thru Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

A Collector’s Piece: The Leica M11 100 Years of Leica “NEW YORK USA”

To additional commemorate this important anniversary, Leica has launched an unique particular version digicam: the Leica M11 100 Years of Leica “NEW YORK USA”. This type was to be had on May 1st, 2025, and is obtainable for acquire best inside the United States. With a strictly restricted manufacturing run of simply 100 devices, this particular version digicam is engraved with the town’s title, “NEW YORK USA,” making it a real rarity for creditors and lovers. The worth of this type is $10,695.

This anniversary version of the mythical rangefinder digicam contains a number of distinctive options that distinguish it as a collector’s merchandise. An particular person engraving at the most sensible plate prominently shows “NEW YORK USA” together with the standard “Leica” script engraving. The digicam boasts a top class shiny black paint end. This end is encouraged by way of historic M-Cameras and is designed to create a particular patina through the years – an unmistakable function that displays the person tale and dealing with of each and every digicam. A harmonious aesthetic is completed in the course of the aggregate of silver-chromed keep an eye on components, together with the shutter liberate button, the on/off transfer, and the ISO and pace dials, all of that are embellished with elaborate and tactile move knurling. Stylish black cowhide armoring lends an understated class to the digicam; its unique texture is a planned throwback to the mythical vulcanite leathering discovered on previous Leica fashions, providing each a sophisticated glance and a safe grip. Further main points underscore the individuality of this particular version: a black chrome-plated sizzling shoe quilt options the anniversary emblem “100”; a refined black screw is used as an alternative of the standard pink Leica emblem at the entrance; each and every digicam bears a different serial quantity from 001/100 to 100/100; and a certificates of authenticity accompanies each and every unit.

The Leica M11 100 Years of Leica may also be launched in 5 different unique country-specific variations, each and every additionally restricted to simply 100 devices. These editions are “MILAN ITALY,” “DUBAI UAE,” “SHANGHAI CHINA,” “TOKYO JAPAN,” and “WETZLAR GERMANY.” Each of those releases will function distinctive engravings and particular serial numbers, making them true collector’s pieces, and they are going to be to be had completely for acquire of their respective nations.

A Conversation With Leica

We spoke with Andrea Pacella, Leica’s VP of Global Marketing & Communication, about Leica’s previous and long run.

1. How has Leica’s unique imaginative and prescient of images advanced?

If we truly imagine the unique imaginative and prescient of Oskar Barnack and Ernst Leitz II—which used to be about giving photographers, each execs and easy amateurs, a device sufficiently small and actual sufficient so to witness the occasions of existence, each the historic ones and the small ones of everybody’s existence—this imaginative and prescient has now not modified. Technology has allowed the introduction of cameras and lenses which can be all the time higher, however the spirit has stayed the similar, as confirmed by way of our precise logo marketing campaign, “The World Deserves Witnesses.”

2. Leica cameras captured many historical moments; which images or occasions maximum vividly constitute the legacy of Leica?

I would possibly say Eisenstaedt’s image of the sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square on V-J Day in 1945, or Mahatma Gandhi’s funeral shot by way of Cartier-Bresson, however the legacy of Leica isn’t constructed on a unmarried image. Rather, in the event you have a look at the historical past of the 20th century, virtually the entire footage that outline it had 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 concept that innovation should create a transparent get advantages for the client, the attempt for perfection in each and every mechanical, optical, and digital component of our cameras and lenses, the home made precision craftsmanship way, and above all, the focus at the very important, represented by way of our motto, “Das Wesentliche.”

4. How does Leica steadiness custom with innovation in nowadays’s impulsively evolving images business?

For me, custom is not anything however a sequence of coherent inventions. The Leica M11 remains to be closely in accordance with the Leica M3 of 1954, of which it’s an unbelievable evolution—highest for the wishes of nowadays’s photographers.

5. Leica sensors are famend for a particular aesthetic-how intentional is that this glance, and what is going into growing it?

It is unique as a result of it’s as on the subject of truth as imaginable. When we began making virtual cameras, the function used to be to be as on the subject of the vintage movie glance as imaginable, to make footage and their colours herbal.

6. Leica has a passionate and dependable neighborhood. What do you imagine fosters such an emotional connection to the emblem?

A Leica is not just a device you utilize to take footage. It is an object you have a tendency to like and cherish—one thing that is going with you a very long time in existence, one thing handed from one era to any other. The sense of neighborhood is in accordance with the excitement of discovering others who proportion the similar emotions. When two strangers, each and every with a Leica, occur to fulfill any place on this planet, it’s extremely most probably that they forestall and communicate, make acquaintance, or no less than alternate a nod and a grin.

7. How has consumer comments particularly influenced the improvement of new Leica digicam fashions?

We stay a continuing reference to photographers who use our cameras. We concentrate to them, attempt to perceive their wishes, be informed their photographic approaches, and thru this we then purpose our analysis and building to take a look at and satisfy their expectancies.

8. Could you speak about Leica’s method to participating with recent photographers and artists?

It is an ongoing procedure, in accordance with friendship and mutual admire. One of our basic values is authenticity, and that is the foundation of each and every dating. We don’t give significance to the celebrity or fans of the artists we collaborate with, however best to their high quality—first as other folks, after which as artists—and to their love for our cameras and our logo.

9. Leica cameras are recognized for his or her sturdiness. How vital is sustainability to your product lifecycle way?

Sustainability is key, and confirmed by way of the truth that you’ll be able to use lenses made 70 or 80 years in the past with nowadays’s cameras and not using a drawback, and that we will be able to nonetheless restore cameras and lenses made within the ’50s and ’60s. Moreover, the lengthy lifecycle of our cameras—round 4 or 5 years between one type and its successor—is a ensure for our shoppers to stay the price in their acquire excessive and solid through the years.

10. In the generation of smartphone images dominance, how does Leica draw in new generations of photographers?

We don’t seem to be scared by way of the predominance of smartphone images nowadays. We suppose that the entirety that is helping foster the affection for images is sure, and that is confirmed by way of the release we only recently product of the LUX app for iOS, evolved to lend a hand create surprising photographs in Leica taste with a easy iPhone.

11. Which Leica digicam or lens liberate marked essentially the most pivotal second to your fresh historical past?

Defining “recent” in an organization celebrating its 100 years of promoting cameras (and over 150 years of existence…) isn’t simple. Let us say that one of the pivotal moments used to be the release of the Leica M9 in 2009, when Leica—in any case, after some years of difficulties—made it again in the marketplace with a product in any case as much as the expectancies of its purchasers within the new virtual images international.

12. Can you speak about the philosophy in the back of your limited-edition cameras and collaborations, and their importance in your logo?

As stated prior to, for lots of of our shoppers Leica cameras also are gadgets of want—one thing they like to personal and accumulate. Our particular editions are all the time restricted runs of cameras or lenses that pay homage to our legacy, and as such, they give a contribution to maintaining this legacy alive. Brand collaborations, alternatively, come from alternatives to paintings with designers we recognize, or manufacturers with whom we proportion values and philosophies, to offer new interpretations to our merchandise and cause them to fascinating for brand spanking new audiences.

13. How vital is photographic schooling and philanthropy to Leica, and what projects does Leica fortify in coaching and nurturing new ability?

Photographic schooling is key to rising working out and fervour for images, and there we will be able to rely on our Leica Academy, which is now established international. On the opposite hand, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award—and particularly its Newcomer Award—satisfy the function of supporting the paintings of photographers and fostering the expansion of latest abilities.

14. Looking ahead, what technological inventions excite Leica’s building workforce maximum?

The subsequent frontier is to know how AI can turn into a fortify for the improvement of images and now not just a danger. We are already forward on this box, as now we have been the primary logo to combine Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative in our cameras, and we stay extremely conscious of each and every innovation bobbing up available in the market.

15. As Leica celebrates its 100th anniversary, what does this milestone imply to you in my opinion and to the emblem as a complete?

For me in my opinion, it’s an honor and a large accountability to be riding the conversation of one of these prestigious logo in one of these pivotal second in its historical past. I’m indubitably fortunate to have one of these job to satisfy. For the emblem, this can be a second to way with satisfaction and a way of achievement, but additionally with nice dedication to what is going to be the street forward.

16. If it’s essential select one Leica digicam to constitute the spirit of the emblem’s first century, which type wouldn’t it be and why?

It may simply be the Leica I, which represented the revolution in images, or the Leica M3, which began the legacy of the M device in 1954. But I might most likely select the Leica M6—essentially the most a hit and most likely nonetheless essentially the most cherished Leica digicam ever.

17. What do you hope photographers and Leica lovers will bear in mind or respect maximum about Leica in any other 100 years?

Our love, dedication, and determination to images for over one century.

The Enduring Philosophy: ‘Das Wesentliche’ and Beyond

Leica’s enduring attraction and its century of luck are deeply rooted in a core philosophy encapsulated by way of the German word “Das Wesentliche,” which interprets to “the essential.” This concept isn’t simply a advertising and marketing slogan; this can be a guiding mild for the corporate’s method to design, engineering, and the very enjoy of images. It indicates a continuing focus on what in reality issues, stripping away the superfluous to ship gear which can be each extremely purposeful and intuitively usable. This philosophy mandates that each and every innovation should create a transparent and tangible get advantages for you, the individual the use of the digicam. It drives the unwavering pursuit of perfection in each and every mechanical, optical, and digital element in their cameras and lenses. The dedication to a home made, precision craftsmanship way is any other pillar of this philosophy, making sure that each and every Leica product is not only manufactured, however meticulously created.

This determination to outstanding high quality and quintessential German craftsmanship, seamlessly built-in with cutting edge generation, has been the hallmark of the Leica logo for over 150 years, even predating the Leica I digicam. Leica Camera AG stays headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany, the birthplace of the Leica tale, and operates a 2nd manufacturing facility in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, making sure that its excessive requirements are maintained throughout its production operations. The corporate has additionally strategically expanded its experience into similar fields, together with cellular imaging thru partnerships for smartphones, fine quality eyeglass lenses, watch production, or even the house cinema section with its personal projectors.

A very important and integral a part of the Leica logo’s tradition is its profound and energetic dedication to fostering photographic tradition international. This dedication isn’t passive; it’s expressed thru quite a lot of projects. The roughly 30 Leica Galleries function a very powerful cultural mediators, showcasing a dynamic steadiness of recent images and the undying works of previous icons. These galleries tackle vital social accountability by way of selling artwork and data.

The Leica Akademie, established international, proceed the emblem’s storied custom of photographic schooling, providing immersive, hands-on workshops designed to develop working out and fervour for the medium. Furthermore, Leica helps and nurtures ability thru prestigious world awards just like the Leica Hall of Fame Award, which honors photographers who’ve made remarkable contributions to the emblem and the medium, and the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA). The LOBA, specifically its Newcomer Award, performs a a very powerful function in supporting the paintings of rising image-makers and fostering the expansion of latest abilities within the box.

For the ones within the heritage and preservation of those historical tools, Leica Camera Classics, a specialised department situated in Vienna, Austria, performs a singular function. This facility makes a speciality of antique cameras, with an excellent show of roughly 1,500 units in its retailer at Westbahnstraße 40. Critically, it additionally homes the biggest spare portions warehouse for historical Leica cameras on this planet. This unprecedented stock permits on-site technicians to investigate cross-check historical Leica cameras to the very best collector requirements and, when essential, repair them with original parts prior to they’re introduced on the prestigious Leitz Photographica Auction. This public sale, arranged two times a yr in June and November by way of Leica Camera Classics, is extensively considered the sector’s maximum vital public sale of antique cameras, attracting bidders from over 100 nations. In addition to auctions, round 5,000 merchandise are completely introduced within the LCC on-line retailer.

Echoes of History: Iconic Images Captured With Leica Cameras

The legacy of Leica is inextricably related to the numerous iconic photographs which have been captured with its cameras over the last century. These images don’t seem to be simply footage; they’re visible markers of historical past, tradition, and human emotion. As Pacella famous, in the event you read about the historical past of the 20th century, an unlimited selection of the images that outline that generation had been shot on a Leica. This underscores the profound have an effect on those compact, dependable cameras had within the arms of those that witnessed and documented the sector. One of my non-public favorites, Robert Capa, used to be a large Leica consumer.

Examples of such traditionally vital photographs which can be a part of Leica’s narrated visible historical past come with:

• Franz Hubmann’s “Stammgast im Café Hawelka, Wien, 1956/57,” to be had in its unique shape at Picture Alliance.
• Jewgeni Chaldej’s robust “Die Flagge des Sieges, 1945,” additionally to be had in unique at Picture Alliance.
• Thomas Hoepker’s depiction of “Muhammad Ali, Chicago, 1966,” to be had at Picture Alliance appearing Hoepker with the paintings in an exhibition.
• Elliott Erwitt’s “New York City, 1974,” featured at Picture Alliance with a customer in an exhibition.
• Robert Capa’s “Death of a Loyalist Soldier, 1936,” proven in an exhibition context thru Getty Images and Picture Alliance.
• Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “The Banks of the Marne, 1938,” depicted in an exhibition environment by way of Getty Images.
• Alfred Eisenstaedt’s “VJ Day, Times Square, NY, August 14, 1945,” to be had thru Getty Images (appearing Edith Shain) and Picture Alliance (appearing Carl Muscarello) in exhibition contexts.
• René Burri’s “San Cristóbal, Mexico, 1976,” proven with the photographer at Picture Alliance.

These photographs, and numerous others, are a testomony to Oskar Barnack’s unique imaginative and prescient: to offer a device that may empower folks to turn into witnesses to their occasions. The legacy of Leica is not only within the cameras themselves, however within the enduring energy of the images they helped create.

All photographs used with permisson of Leica.