This article marks the 100th anniversary of the Leica I camera, first unveiled in 1925 after Oskar Barnack's proposal to create a lightweight, portable camera using 35mm cinema film. It highlights seven era-defining photographs made with Leica cameras, including Alfred Eisenstaedt's iconic V-J Day in Times Square (1945) and Ilse Bing's Self-Portrait in Mirrors (1931), and notes that Leica is staging exhibitions across its 29 galleries worldwide to celebrate the centenary.
The story matters because the Leica I revolutionized photography by enabling mobility and spontaneity, effectively inventing photojournalism and street photography. Its compact design allowed photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Joel Meyerowitz, and Walker Evans to capture intimate, urgent images that shaped visual culture. The article underscores how a technological innovation transformed the art of photography and continues to influence documentary and reportage.