Fontenelle archives 61 : Black Leiva IIIc

[Pecole]

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I would have had doubts about its authenticity, were it not have been sold to me by its original owner, a free lance journalist specialised in Aviation. When I told him that I had never heard (at that time) of a black IIIc, this gentleman explained that he had started photographing aeroplanes in 1932 with a black Leica III, and that when he decided to re-equip in 1950, he insisted with the Leitz rep to have a black body. He was then told that black bodies were not available any more, but, since he had ordered a complete equipment and if he agreed to wait for one more month, Leitz would be happy to have one especially made for him.

And so came the black IIIc nº 509174. When I bought it to the retired journalist, it was still in its fitted leather case with 5 lenses (Elmar 3,5, 5 and 9 cm, Summitar 5 cm and Hektor 13,5 cm), VIOOH viewfinder, FIKUS, FOOKH and SOOPD hoods, four A36 filters and four Summitar filters. The only problem was that the camera had been custom equiped with a synchro system, fortunately very discreet, with a small tube-socket protruding on the left side of the body's front.

The first photo hereunder was taken when I parted from my Fontenelle collection. The second, black and white one was taken at the time I bought the set, the original equipment including some of the "old items" from the seller's pre-war equipment.

 

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The black Leica IIIc nº 509174 with the Hektor 13,5 cm black and vulcanite nº 715806.

 

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[jerzy]

Amazing! Thank you. SN comes pretty close to black Leitz Eigentum (517xxx)

jerzy