Celebrating Jim Lager - Happy Birthday!

During the 2019 LHSA conference in Boston, LHSA honored Jim Lager by celebrating his 50th with LHSA. His good friend, Horst Gienapp wrote the following tribute for him.

Dear Friends,

Last year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of LHSA – The International Leica Society with a meeting at Leica in Wetzlar  As the society now moves on to the next 50 years, it is fitting that we remember the founders like Al Clarke, Rolf Fricke, and Julius Foris and celebrate the contributions they made to reach the half-century mark.  They helped set the course for the Society and enabled us to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Leica brand.

The founders developed an appreciation for the historical contribution Leica made to record the important events in world history since the 1920s as well as the incalculable contribution Leica has made to photojournalism over the years

By the end of the 1960s, many of the founding members began collecting cameras, lenses, and accessories. Like most early photo gear enthusiasts, they were in on the ground floor of camera collecting when prices and availability of gear were at their best and some amassed large and often specialized collections.  As more Leica enthusiasts joined in the hunt for artifacts of this world-class brand, questions of who, what, when, where, and the value began.

One member of this founding father, Jim Lager, who is celebrating his 50 years with LHSA, stepped in to fill this information void.  Jim was single-minded in his pursuit of documenting everything about Leica cameras, lenses, and accessories.

Jim was working on his master’s degree in Geology at the Ohio State University (OSU) when he met Al Clarke, a Sociology Professor, and the others, and the chemistry between them brought about our Leica Society.  The first meeting of the group took place in April 1969 on the OSU campus.

Jim’s singular interest and passion for anything Leica was so great that when he returned to his hometown Toledo, Ohio he did not pursue a career in Geology but instead his love of the Leica took him to Leitz, then in Rockleigh, New Jersey, as a consumer representative.

Early on Jim began his research endeavors writing articles for the LHSA quarterly “Viewfinder.”.  To date, more than 300 pieces by Jim have appeared in the magazine.

Jim’s passion for the Leica saga did not end with research, articles, and correspondence, including with  Leica collectors and Leitz employees, Importantly, his research resulted in the publication of the “Leica Illustrated Guide” in 1975.   This was followed by Guides II and III, and in 1980, a book on Leica Literature.  These guides are referred to by many as Jim’s “Little Red Books”.  If that was not enough, LHSA members drafted him as president for two terms.

By the 1980s Jim had established himself as “Mr. Leica” and became the go-to person for accurate information about anything Leica and what you thought was a rare Leica camera, lens, or accessory.

Even with these accomplishments, Jim’s Leica passion was not abated, and he began the yeoman’s task of documenting and photographing equipment that came to his attention.

This was immeasurably enhanced when he took a position with Ken Hansen Camera in New York City in 1983.  Hansen Camera was a world-class dealer and Jim remained with him for 11 years honing his knowledge and increasing his contacts with Leica enthusiasts around the world.  (Unfortunately, just a few months ago, Ken Hansen passed away). Jim was never a Leica collector but working in the store allowed him access to launch the next chapter in his Leica quest.

By the 1990s he accomplished what I and many Leica enthusiasts feel is a Magnum Opus of Leica literature:  In 1993, he self-published “Leica: an Illustrated History Volume 1 – Cameras”; in 1994, a superb Volume II – “Lenses”; and finally, in 1998, Volume III – “Accessories”.  These books are impeccably researched with superb s black and white and color plate illustrations.  They should be on every Leica enthusiast’s bookshelf.

When most of us Leica users and collectors will be relegated to the dust bins of history, these books, and the name, James L. Lager will be remembered.

Of the 50 years, Jim has been a member of the Leica family, I have been fortunate to rub shoulders with him, Al Clarke, Julius Foris, and of course, Rolf Fricke; my town, Columbus, Ohio where it all started.

I have known Jim for some 30 years; our friendship has deepened, and I can say that Jim deserves the name Leica “Mensch”.

Horst Gienapp LHSA member since 1983