Participate in an Upcoming Online Survey about the AIPAD New York Photography Show
Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography--Lewis Carroll, Julia Margaret Cameron, Oscar Rejlander and Clementina Hawarden The National Portrait Gallery, London, until May 20th
Millon to Auction Photographer Claude Dityvon's Body of Work on May 15 in Paris
DC Antique Photo, Postcard and Camera Shows Sold and under New Management
Leica Camera Sold for New Auction Record 2,400,000 Euro (USD $2,976,000) at WestLicht Record-Breaking Auction
Harry Ransom Center Acquires Fritz Henle Archive
With the new world record price of 2.4 million Euro (2 million hammer price plus premium), the Leica 0-series no. 122 is now the world's most expensive camera auctioned to date.
The 32nd WestLicht Camera Auction brought not one but two record-winning results. With the new world record price of 2.4 million Euro (2 million hammer price plus premium), the Leica 0-series no. 122 is now the World's most expensive camera auctioned to date. Furthermore, the auction turned out to be the most successful one in the rich history of the Vienna auction house.
The Leica 0-series had started at a price of 400,000 Euro and rose to a result six times higher. A private collector from Asia emerged as the winner. The remarkable price certainly also reflects the camera's excellent original condition. In 1923, two years before the first Leica was introduced to the market, Ernst Leitz produced 25 of this test camera, only three of which are known to still be in the original condition.
The previous record holder, a Leica 0-series with no. 116, was also auctioned at WestLicht in 2012 for 2.16 million Euro.
Peter Coeln, WestLicht founder: "The outstanding result once again emphasizes the international leading position of our auction house". Leica majority owner and chairman of the board Andreas Kaufmann added: "This world record price of 2.4 million Euro demonstrates the ongoing and ever-growing myth of the Leica brand."
A further top result was achieved by another Leica camera from the famous collection of Jim Jannard (founder of Oakley). A Leica MP-89 black paint climbed from a starting price of 120,000 to 456,000 Euro.
Other notable sales in the auction included a Leica MP-2, the first camera with electric motor drive, which changed ownership for 432,000 Euro. For the comparatively moderate sum of 48,000 Euro a collector purchased the Hasselblad Lunar Surface SWC, which was manufactured for the Apollo missions.
The overall sales rate of the 32nd WestLicht Camera Auction was at 91% of the 530 lots, with close to 100% among the Leica items.
Participate in an Upcoming Online Survey about the AIPAD New York Photography Show
Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography--Lewis Carroll, Julia Margaret Cameron, Oscar Rejlander and Clementina Hawarden The National Portrait Gallery, London, until May 20th
Millon to Auction Photographer Claude Dityvon's Body of Work on May 15 in Paris
DC Antique Photo, Postcard and Camera Shows Sold and under New Management
Leica Camera Sold for New Auction Record 2,400,000 Euro (USD $2,976,000) at WestLicht Record-Breaking Auction
Harry Ransom Center Acquires Fritz Henle Archive
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