The LSI BLOG
(posts appear in chronological order)
Leica Cassettes: The Inconvenience of Perfection
n the beginning days of 35mm photography, you could not go to a store and buy a roll of film. Initially, all 35mm still photographers used reloadable metal cassettes that had to be individually loaded with film cut from bulk rolls (and the film end had to be cut with a suitable leader for the take-up spool). By the late 1920s you could buy pre-spooled 12- 18- and 36-exposure lengths of film in foil packets and simply insert them into the cassettes, a convenience that proved to be very popular.
Shades of New York
During 1940-1945 direct delivery of Leitz Wetzlar product to E.Leitz, Inc. New York was terminated. In 1946-1947 Leicas and their accessories began to reach the American market.
‘Stealth’ Leica Factory Upgrades
Never officially listed, they were sometimes available on request. While the factory at E. Leitz Wetzlar can hardly be described as a cottage industry, it retained some aspects of the precision workshop mentality well into the postwar era.
Elco Welding: An Old Venice, CA Icon
Elco Welding, housed in an old building at 1711 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, in Venice, California, is unique among the many nearby businesses and pricey shops in a very trendy area.
