Leica LTM Photo Books

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Pioneer

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I am always on the lookout for old photo books where the Leica LTM camera photos were featured. If you have run across any yourself and have some suggestions, feel free to pass them along.
 
Hi,

How about "My Leica and I" from 1937, edited by Kurt Peter Karfeld? About 45 pages of text and then 152 photographs all by amateurs and intended to show the range and uses of the camera when not in the hands of a professional photographer.

The text is about 19 or 20 essays by the photographers; all in all a fascinating book.

Regards, David
 
How about "This is War !" by David Duncan Douglas, who will be a 100 years old in two months time.

All the gore of the Korean war photographed by a master with his two Leica IIIc cameras and the international début of the 5cm Nikkor f1.5 lens and the Nikkor 8.5cm f 2 lens.
 
How about any of the Morgan & Lester Leica Manuals? They feature photos of the cameras, photos taken with the cameras (and usually by well-known photographers of the day), technical articles etc etc. Anything pre-1954 will feature exclusively LTM cameras and related photos.

Similarly, have a look at Life Magazines from the '30s and 40's -- I'm fortunate enough to have a signed Eisenstaedt first cover of his (Issue #2 of Life Magazine).
 
I did pick up the reprint of The Decisive Moment, that is actually what got this started.

We have a used book shop here in town and I found a copy of Germany; The American Zone which I also picked up. This has Leica photos of Germany before and after the War by Paul Wolfe and another gentleman. I also picked up another book by Paul Wolfe that has photos of the Olympics.

I do have a Morgan and Lester manual around here that came with my M3. I haven't looked at it in awhile so I need to find it again.

BTW, I do appreciate all these suggestions. I find this era of Leica photographs to be very interesting since people are still learning how best to take advantage of the small camera.
 
Hi,

As you said " I find this era of Leica photographs to be very interesting since people are still learning how best to take advantage of the small camera." I'll add a few to the list for you, I hope the luxury fund can cope.

The Hove Foto Book reprints of the 1931, 33 and 36 Leitz catalogues are brilliant to get the feel of the cameras and as a data source. Dirt cheap here in England and no one buying them on ebay, IMO. Sometimes you bid on one and get the original and not the reprint! BTW, they were intended for dealers only and a series of simple leaflets were available to us riff-raff that are well worth collecting.

There's "The Leica Data Book" by Karl A Barleben from 1933. It seems that he was organised and had a scrap book or note book of useful tables etc and put them all in a little book. Originally 50 cents but probably more these days. Sounds boring as I've described it but really absorbing.

Back to Leitz booklets; there's "Leica the Camera of Modern Times" and "The Interchangeable Leica Lenses" both come in several versions for the USA and Great Britain. The differences between them being very interesting to me.

There's also (rare) "First Principles for Leica Users" from 1935 and it's a sort of conversion course or "a concise introduction" to modern photography. Expensive (sometimes) but 2 sheets and 2 staples making a neat and interesting 8 page booklet by Leitz, of course.

And there's this:

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And there's that big fat book "Leica Literature 1930 to 1960" by James Lager. And, at the other extreme the little cards they put in the pocket in the back of the ERC like the exposure tables and export/import certificates.

I hope that keeps you amused. It'll keep you poor, guaranteed.

Regards, David
 
Another one by K. P. Karfeld: "Leica In Aller Welt" from 1938.

very similar to "My Leica and I" , though I'm not sure it was ever translated in other languages.
 
If you want the effect without the camera, you might consider the work of James Ravelious. He used an M3, but with an Imarect finder, and old LTM lenses. His main lens was a 28mm Hektor, and I don't remember the others. He said he liked the effect they gave, in preference to more modern optics, and I think he was in particular referring to the open shadows from uncoated lenses.

All of his photos may be accessed here, http://www.beaford-arts.org.uk/archive/. By refreshing the gallery on the first page they all show up eventually, ten at a time.

Then, if you like him, there are books. :)
 
I have all the Ravilious books and like his work very, very much. It didn't cost me all that much to acquire the books, either.

Checking the Beaford Archives web site, looks like they have some wonderful photos that aren't in any of the books. I will enjoy going through the site.
 
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