Leica Camera AG (hereafter referred to as Leica) will celebrate a memorable milestone in 2025. It marks 100 years since the Leica I, Leica’s first mass-produced 35mm camera, was introduced at the Leipzig Spring Fair.
The Leica I, which was characterized by its small and easy-to-handle size, opened up new possibilities for photography and revolutionized the world of photography. To commemorate this milestone year in 2025, Leica will hold celebratory events around the world entitled “100 years of Leica: Witness to a century (1925-2025),” and will also release a number of cultural events and new products.
The history of the Leica I
Entrepreneur Ernst Leitz II improved the revolutionary camera “Ur-Leica” developed by Oskar Barnack and began mass production. Oskar Barnack, a precision mechanical engineer who was head of testing at Ernst Leitz AG, was working on developing an unprecedentedly compact 35mm camera.
The first Leica camera prototype was completed in 1914, but the Second World War caused significant delays in its development. When it was unveiled at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925 as the “Leica I,” it sparked a revolution in the world of photography.
With the release of the Leica I, Leica’s first lightweight, compact 35mm camera with a screen size of 24 x 36 mm, photography became a part of everyday life.
The arrival of the Leica I also made it possible to capture real moments in the real world, in other words, to capture decisive moments, expanding the possibilities for new uses and expressions. This led to the birth of photography genres such as reportage, documentary, street, and art.
The iconic Leica “Leica I”
The Leica I was the first milestone product for Leica, and is considered the camera that built the foundation for the company’s subsequent success story. From then until the present, Leica has always focused on developing innovative technologies and pioneered new business fields, playing an important role in the development of photography technology.
The company says that its high-quality, durable “Made in Germany” products, as well as its energetic efforts to promote and develop outstanding photographic expression and photographic culture, are unique to Leica.
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Leica I
In 2025, the Leica Camera Group will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Leica I together with a community of photography enthusiasts around the world.
As part of this, events are being planned in Dubai, Milan, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo, as well as photo exhibitions showcasing the work of outstanding photographers in Leica Galleries around the world.
The main event will take place at Leica’s headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany in June 2025. A wide range of cultural events will be held for visitors from all over the world. In Wetzlar, the birthplace of Leica, cultural events are also planned in the region to celebrate Wetzlar and the surrounding area.
In addition, several special limited edition models will be released for the anniversary year, to celebrate the innovative Leica I, which has symbolized the past 100 years.
Additionally, the Ernst Leitz Museum will be screening a film by film director Rainer Holzemer about the development of 35mm photography, as well as hosting an exhibition of photographs by renowned photographer Sebastião Salgado.
