Troll Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Pictures on his website show a beautiful silver camera, but I thought that the Leica A was only made in black enamel finish; Any comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Link? Sometimes, Leicas were even made in "gold". Here is one of mine, marked with the Swedish Army three crowns. How it ever got to the Ukraine is a total mystery to me. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Posted April 27, 2017 Author Share Posted April 27, 2017 Sometimes, Leicas were even made in "gold". Gold, yes. But chrome in the 1930s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Williams Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 The 'first Leica' on his Wikipedia page looks like a 1929 model from the serial number: Henri Cartier-Bresson - Wikipedia . I also thought they were painted black at that time, though chrome was common by the mid 30s. Perhaps the camera has been rebuilt or refinished, though the same page also mentions that "He enhanced his anonymity by painting all shiny parts of the Leica with black paint." Hmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter Schaefer Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Pictures on his website show a beautiful silver camera, but I thought that the Leica A was only made in black enamel finish; Any comments? Looking for an answer, I discovered that you asked the same question back in 2007: HC-B's first Leica, need history expert explaination But chrome in the 1930s? The Leica Standard, Leica II, and Leica III came in chrome, as early as 1933 for the II and III and 1934 for the Standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Williams Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Did anyone answer the question in 2007? This one is much earlier than the usual date given for chrome cameras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_stobbs3 Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Nickel plate was common before chrome. Did Leica ever nickel plate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter Schaefer Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Did Leica ever nickel plate? lenses, yes. cameras - I don't know (dials probably) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Williams Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Nickel-plated dials (shutter speed, film advance and rewind, etc.) were used on the black cameras, but on this one the top plate is also chrome (or some silvery metal finish, anyway). Looking now at the earlier thread, I see the points we've considered have been made before, and someone points out that the HCB camera has a black rewind lever, perhaps suggesting the whole camera once had a black painted finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter Schaefer Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 perhaps suggesting the whole camera once had a black painted finish But wouldn't "black paint" mean that there should be brass underneath? Not something silvery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lazzari Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Leicas were even made in "gold" - here's one of mine with the Swedish Army three crowns" JDMvW Wow JDM, I can't believe you chanced removing that rare piece from it's vault, and just to show us... What a treat, thanks ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Williams Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 But wouldn't "black paint" mean that there should be brass underneath? Not something silvery?Yes, but the camera might have been disassembled and a worn paint job stripped off completely, and the brass chrome-plated before reassembling with the original fittings (including the black lever). Or of course damaged plates could be replaced completely with chrome plates (on which the original serial number would typically be re-engraved). But perhaps it was nothing so complicated and the camera was a special order that left the factory that way. Leitz did some unusual things from time to time. A few years ago, someone posted about a brass-finished Leica that looked superficially like a Luxus (or JDM's camera!). We assumed it had been re-finished at some point, but when the poster asked Leica, it apparently turned out to be a special order in its original condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter Schaefer Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 All one can do is speculate. It is a bit surprising that the camera is displayed at the Bresson Foundation without giving a full background story of it. Here's a film that shows him with that particular camera: ARCHIVE FILM: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Pen, Brush and Camera 1999 (at around 9 minutes in). But there's no information beyond the purchasing date (1932) (but I've also read 1931 elsewhere). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Posted April 29, 2017 Author Share Posted April 29, 2017 Thanks for the video, Dieter; I'd not seen it before. I guess that I'm not convinced that this was the first Leica I he bought. I'll probably ask the same question again, as soon as my memory of asking it oozes from my senile old brain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter Schaefer Posted April 29, 2017 Share Posted April 29, 2017 This image: [PLAIN]Henri Cartier-Bresson | Object:Photo | MoMA[/PLAIN] is from 1935 (though I have seen one reference of 1933). I can't determine if it is or isn't the same camera; other with more experience might be able to though. And here is an image (and a story) about a Leica I with serial number 671 (from the first Leica I series) - and it is not black: Henri Cartier-Bresson | Yaniv Berman - Filmmaker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyril_jayant1 Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 Cartier Bresson's pictures were based on silver gelatine and black and white photography. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now