Vintage Leitz, New York Print Promotions: Collectible Works of Art These early Leica ads, flyers, etc. are graphic arts masterpieces
By Jason Schneider
One of the keys to the Leica’s phenomenal success during the ‘20s and ‘30s was that it was advertised and promoted at a level of excellence commensurate with the camera itself. The combination of a great product and impactful, motivational advertising was simply compelling. While E. Leitz Wetzlar drew upon the renowned German graphic arts tradition to create many memorable Leica ads and flyers, Leitz New York produced some remarkable print promotions as well. Even back then, New York was a world center of advertising that was supported by an immense pool of top-tier graphic artists and designers.
A classic example of the American promotional style is the cover of Pamphlet No. 1127 of 1928, when E. Leitz, New York was located at 60 East Tenth Street. The image shows (what else?) a fashionably attired movie star (Jaqueline Logan) delicately clutching what is described as “her” Leica I (Model A) and holding it up in what is supposed to be a “picture taking pose” but with her fingers nowhere near the shutter release! It’s a classic “celebrity testimonial sell” and note that the word “Leica” is in quotation marks, and it’s described as a “POCKET ROLL FILM CAMERA using Standard Cinema Film.
Less graphically audacious but equally charming is the cover of a Leitz, New York brochure of 1933 announcing the availability if the new Leica III (model F), the first focal plane shutter Leica with slow shutter speeds. It shows a lovely ¾ top view of a black Leica III with 50mm f/3.5 Elmar and concentric circles around the slow speed dial to emphasize its newest feature. The tag line in the upper left-hand corner “Again Leica Leads the Way,” is vintage American adspeak, and so is the (questionable) claim that the Leica III provides “the Greatest Range of Shutter Speeds in Any Camera.”
Perhaps the most striking example of Leitz, New York graphics is “the Leica on Stage,” the cover of a brochure from about 1929 created by the advertising department. It shows a Leica I (Model A), framed in a spotlight in front of a pleated red stage curtain, and being held aloft by a dismembodied hand! At the top of the page is a script Leica logo in gold, and at the bottom, an orchestra pit, complete with musicians, a conductor, and seats for the audience. The fact that the graphic image alone conveys the meaning without any text required other than the word “Leica,” is remarkable for a promotional piece created nearly a century ago, and is a testament to the ad department’s audacity and ingenuity.
The cover of the 1930 Leitz, New York brochure announcing the Leica I (Model C), the first Leica with standardized interchangeable screw mount lenses, is more conventional but still quite charming and commendably straightforward. It shows a Leica C with a 50mm f/3.5 Elmar on the camera, 35mm f/3.5 and 135mm f/4.5 Elmars off to its side, and a Leitz “system case” in the background. The commendably concise copy reads: “A new addition to the LEICA line, Leica CAMERA Model C, With Interchangeable Lenses.” Simple but timeless.
In conclusion, we present a very early illustration (circa 1929-1930) of the front of a manila envelope used by Leitz, New York to protect Leica literature, and perhaps roll film and other small items sent through the mail. The fact that the company used the envelope as a marketing tool, including a captivating rendering of a Leica I (Model A) and two catch phrases, “the only precision camera of its kind” and “the Smallest Camera with a Focal Plane Shutter,” tells you everything you need to know about the enterprising folks charged with marketing and supporting the Leica in its earliest days. They succeeded beyond measure because they were laser focused on success.
Heartfelt thanks to James Lager for providing all the illustrations used in this article.