Jump to content

LHSA Anniversary set


Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am a member of the Leica Historical Society of America for more than 35 years now. When the society announced that it should mark its 25th anniversary in 1993 with commissioning a limited special edition of the Leica M6, I did not hesitate and ordered one. Even if 1993 was the year I had decided to retire from business and move to the property we had acquired in Portugal in 1979. It was also the year I began to progressively sell my collection.

When the set arrived, I was not disappointed : the M6 body in silver chrome was covered with grey embossed leather, the top-plate carried the LHSA logo with dates 1968-1993 and the serial number 1938079 and special edition number 25-079 were engraved on both sides of the hotshoe (to be noted that the last three digits of the serial number agree with the special edition number). The back of the top-plate was inscribed "SPECIAL EDITION OF 151 CAMERAS FOR LHSA 25TH ANNIVERSARY". The "set" included three silver chrome Summicron (35, 50 and 90 mm), all three numbered with the special edition number 25-079 as "serial" and "LHSA 25TH ANNIVERSARY" . The ensemble was presented in a precious wood fitted box with red velvet inside covering and a little silver metal plate engraved with the LHSA logo and the date 1968-1993. Very elegant, indeed! There were also all official papers and certificates.

The set remained with me for 15 years, and in 2009, it moved to the Red Dot Museum in Singapore.

Here are the photos I made in1993 :

- the packing of the set

- the wooden box

- the set

- the top-plate engraving

- the engraving on the back of the top-plate

- the lenses' "serial number"

- and finally the small metal plate fitted in the wooden box.

It has definitely been the nicest set I ever had in my collection.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

  • Like 18
Link to post
Share on other sites

Simply pressing the 'like' button is not enough for me. I 'like' (love) your contributions and I am very interested in the back-story regarding how you pursued your passion - financial and intellectual. Thank you for reading this.

.

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Simply pressing the 'like' button is not enough for me. I 'like' (love) your contributions and I am very interested in the back-story regarding how you pursued your passion - financial and intellectual. Thank you for reading this.

.

 

Thank you very much for your appreciation, Jac. About the back-story of my Leica (among others...) passion, I believe it is of no interest for the members of this Forum. But if you are really interested, we may have a more direct and personal contact.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

.... About the back-story of my Leica (among others...) passion, I believe it is of no interest for the members of this Forum....

Personally enjoying all of Your posts I have to DISAGREE in this statement!

 

Please let us all take part in Your passion and expert knowledge from decades of Leicaism.  I believe I'm not alone with this wish ;)

Thomas

  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

Personally enjoying all of Your posts I have to DISAGREE in this statement!

 

Please let us all take part in Your passion and expert knowledge from decades of Leicaism.  I believe I'm not alone with this wish ;)

Thomas

+1

 

I am highly interested, too :-)

 

Thank you for all your interesting posts, a pleasure for any Leica afficionado!!! I enjoyed every single picture and line...

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, since quite a few comments seem to express the wish to know more about my "Leica collection virus", let's give some details.

I started utilizing a Leica (IIIc with Summitar) very early, in 1950, when I started reporting for various Belgian publications on my first passion : Aviation (I have been a very young pilot, a reserve captain of the Belgian Air Force). I had no money at that time (my father was killed in the first days of WW2, in May 1940), and had received my camera from the redaction of  a magazine. Managing flying and reporting during my University studies (I am Doctor at Law), I had upgraded my photo equipment to IIIf and then M3, basically with three classical lenses (35, 50 and 135mm). Needless to say that I very much appreciated the qualities of my Leica equipment, but nothing more.

Then, about 1970 and after reading quite an extensive study (in a French photo magazine), I became interested in the history of the Leica. Contacts that became rapidly friendly with the owner (Michel Campion) of a well-known Brussels shop offering a second-hand department specialized in Leica, started the "movement".

In the meantime, I had started my own consultancy (I employed up to 20 persons) and had more financial possibilities. Rapidly, contacts (also very friendly) with real "specialist" like Jim Lager or Paul-Henry van Hasbroeck and the careful reading of their books augmented both my knowledge... and my "frenzy". Not so much appreciated by my wife Colette (we have married in 1962)...

It lasted nearly 25 years, and my Fontenelle Collection (Fontenelle was the name of the property where I lived, some 30 km South of Brussels, and also the name of the property owned by my farthest known ancestor who wore the same Christian name as mine, in the 17th century) counted up to 300 bodies, 500 lenses and about 1,000 accessories (including filters...).

I started concluding when I moved in 1993 to Portugal, where we had acquired a big property in the late 1970s. I had retired early, at 59, after serious heart "warnings". And now, at 82, I enjoy sun, family, archives...and the Forum.

That's it. You asked for : your responsibility.

  • Like 14
Link to post
Share on other sites

Very interesting Pecole. Did parts of your collection provide photo illustrations for James Lager's books or any other authors' Leica books? Do you regret selling any of the 'special' items in your collection and if so, which? 

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

Link to post
Share on other sites

Very interesting Pecole. Did parts of your collection provide photo illustrations for James Lager's books or any other authors' Leica books? Do you regret selling any of the 'special' items in your collection and if so, which? 

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

 

As far as I know, dunk, none of my photos - for which I never asked a copyright - has been used. Dennis Laney, in his 2d edition, after including my name in his acknowledgements, utilizes my words in giving details on the two Leica 250 prototypes.

Regrets ? not really, with the possible exception, precisely, of the Leica 250 chrome prototype nº114052. The only Leica I really feel "spleen" for, is my first and old M3 (I offered it in the late 1970s to my youth and close friend photographer, the late French Michel Tiziou).

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Pecole, I have thoroughly enjoyed your postings over the years admiring each time a part of the Leica legacy and enthusing over your marvellous collection.

 

Sincerely

Charles

 

Many thanks, Charles. Kind postings like yours encourage me to further "dig" in my archives, and deliver to this Forum what I think could interest other "Leica-fools".

Leically yours

Pierre

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Pierre (Pecole), thank you so much for letting us know the broad lines of your passion for Leica and how you were able to collect all those bodies, lenses and accessories. Very special also that you don't really regret to have parted from your collection. I certainly hope we will keep hearing and learning from you.

Best,

Lex

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

LHSA is very proud to have Pecole as a member.  And very proud of the past special editions.   LHSA will be celebrating its 50th Jubilee in 2017-18, so maybe another special edition is something to think about.   

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

We enjoy Pecole's posts, that educate us about both the history and technology of our interesting hobby. He shares with us his previous collection, through pictures and knowledge, and encourages our own (more limited) passion.

We look forward to more lessons and discussions, based on material from the extensive Pecole vaults.

Link to post
Share on other sites

We enjoy Pecole's posts, that educate us about both the history and technology of our interesting hobby. He shares with us his previous collection, through pictures and knowledge, and encourages our own (more limited) passion.

We look forward to more lessons and discussions, based on material from the extensive Pecole vaults.

 

Merci, camarade canadien...jeunet de 15 ans mon cadet. Promis, je continuerai tant que je j'en aurai la force.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Cher Pierre,

 

I remember very well meeting you in your office in 1993, few days before you moved to Portugal.

 

I bought from you a (medical) Leica MD-2, complete with its Goossen cell etc.

 

You gave me also a document about all the variations of the M3 based on your experience as a collector.

 

I was sorry that I made your acquaintance only just before you left to Faro.

 

Listening to you was a great experience for a Leica fan.

 

You and your Leica collection were the subject of a nice chat I had with Michel Campion a few weeks ago.

 

I am glad to read that you are enjoying life and that you still have the Leica bug.

 

Cordialement.

 

Lucien

Link to post
Share on other sites

Cher Pierre,

 

I remember very well meeting you in your office in 1993, few days before you moved to Portugal.

 

I bought from you a (medical) Leica MD-2, complete with its Goossen cell etc.

 

You gave me also a document about all the variations of the M3 based on your experience as a collector.

 

I was sorry that I made your acquaintance only just before you left to Faro.

 

Listening to you was a great experience for a Leica fan.

 

You and your Leica collection were the subject of a nice chat I had with Michel Campion a few weeks ago.

 

I am glad to read that you are enjoying life and that you still have the Leica bug.

 

Cordialement.

 

Lucien

 

Merci, Lucien. Happy to hear that you remember our 23-years-old meeting, and that you still talk with my old friend Michel Campion.

Of course, I am still a Leica fan, even if more a "user" today.

If you ever come to Portugal, you'll be more than welcome : we live a few kilometers from Faro Airport and have rooms free for friends.

I give you my coordinates in a private message.

Leically!

Pierre

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

Hello Pecole,

Several years ago I purchased the Anniversary Set. The m6 did not come with the special silver LHSA body cap. I see in your picture a regular M6 body cap.  I assume your M6 came with the LHSA silver cap, but it is not pictured in the set? Am I correct?

I am just trying to ascertain the completeness of my set. Most of the sets I have seen for sale over the years had the silver LHSA body cap.

Please advise.

Thank you,

Dan 

LHSA Member

Edited by LeicaFan1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...