EventsMelbourne’s first Leica Store and Gallery is here

  • November 2, 2018
  • St. Collins Lane

We’re excited to announce that Melbourne’s first ever Leica Store and Gallery has opened in St. Collins Lane – bringing you an experience that the Germans call “Das Wesentliche” – The Essentials.

With over 150 years in the industry, Leica has made a name for itself as a camera and lens institution – the one brand that photography fanatics have, and continue to obsess over.

Leica’s Legacy

Founded in Germany in 1849 by Ernst Leitz, the origins of the Leica name derive from the founder, [Lei]tz, and [ca]mera, coming together to form: Lei-ca.

Leica’s illustrious history has seen it become a pioneer in the photography space, propelling the medium’s development through key inventions such as the 35mm camera. In 1914, Leica engineer Oskar Barnack created a 35mm camera prototype, the Ur-Leica and then in 1925, the Leica 1 became the world’s first commercially available 35mm camera. Prior to this, cameras were bulky boxes on tripods, therefore the release of Leica’s portable 35mm changed the face of cameras forever.

Today, Leica cameras are commonly associated with street photography, with distinguished photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ara Güler, Robert Frank and Bruce Gilden choosing Leica as their camera of choice.

Some of the world’s most iconic images have also been taken on Leica cameras, such as Alfred Eisenstaedt’s photo of a sailor kissing a woman in Times Square after the end of World War II and Nick Út’s image of the Napalm attacks in Vietnam that exposed the horrors of the war to the Western world.

Exhibition 36 from 100 © Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1945.

A Melbourne First

The renowned German camera maker is now coming to Melbourne, bringing a one-of-a-kind store to St. Collins Lane, with Leica Store and Gallery Melbourne offering an art gallery, world-class studio and intimate Akademie workshops, in addition to its collection of premium cameras and lenses.

Leica Gallery Melbourne will be the only official Leica Gallery in Australia and from Thursday, 22 November, it will be showing New Yorker and Magnum photographer, Bruce Gilden’s never been exhibited works – ‘Untitled’ – that was shot in Melbourne in 2011.

From Bruce Gilden's 'Untitled' 

 

NYC116329, Friend of Mick Gatto from ‘Untitled’ © Bruce Gilden/Magnum Photos, 2011.

Leica Store and Gallery Melbourne is located on Level One. at St. Collins Lane.

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