100 years Null-Serie

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[Roland Zwiers]

23 hours ago, beoon said:

I also started to compile some basic notes about the 0 series cameras as I felt it would be interesting to document anything that is known about these historical cameras.

Perhaps we could build a record here about what everyone knows about each of the 0 series cameras, it is highly likely that due to the extremely high value a lot of these cameras will be locked away in vaults, never to be seen again.

I literally only started my notes and they are very basic, but it could be a start for forum members to contribute what they know?

No 101 - 15/4/23 August Bauer

No 102 - 14/4/23 Ernst Leitz III

No 103 - 6/6/23 Hermann Kipper

No 104 - ? (St Petersburg)

No 105 - 3/7/23 Dr Henri Dumur

No 106 - 25/3/23 Dr Max Berek

No 107 - 5/6/23 Patent Office New York

No 108 - 6/6/23 Rudolph Zak (Leitz Optical Manager)

No 109 - 6/6/23 Herr Kutschinsky (Berlin Branch)

No 110 - 28/9/23 Herr Kitterle (Vienna)

No 111 - 6/6/23 Wolfgang Zieler (New York Branch)

No 112 - 15/4/23 Oskar Barnack

No 113 - 15/5/23 Dr Franz Bergmann (Leitz manager)

No 114 - 15/5/23 Professor Dr Fritz Klute

No 115 - ?

No 116 - ?

No 117 - ?

No 118 - 6/6/23 Professor Eicken (Berlin)

No 119 - 6/6/23 Herr Ruplar

No 120 - Franz Bergmann (Berlin?)

No 121 - ?

No 122 - Sauppe (New York)

No 123 - ?

No 124 - ?

No 125 - ?

No 126  - 11/6/23 Herr Michael Becker (Dept manager Berlin)

No 127 - 10/23 Anton Baumann

No 128 - 10/23 Herr Rudolph Zak

No 129 - 10/23 Firm Winterdorff (Giessen)

No 130 - 10/23 Hamburg (sold)

 

 

 

Hello Alan,

It is indeed very interesting to look at the recipients of a test Leica in 1923 and 1924.

The usual approach is to look at the numbers in the delivery book 'Kamera' and to compare these to the work notes of Oskar Barnack (page 115) and to empirical evidence (the surviving test cameras). This approach has also been done in German literature by Dr. Kutscherenko, Ulf Richter and Alfred Wehner. In the attachments are their articles in Vidom 1998 and 2011. Oscar Fricke and Ulf Richter were so kind as to share this information with me.     

You will see that Nr. 107 is discussed as well. The authors infer that it was sent to Leitz New York for a possible patent application. Now the US patent office is in Arlington, Virginia. The authors infer that the patent application never materialised. 

In my opinion there should be a second complementary approach that starts with page 115 of the worknotes of Oskar Barnack. The work notes mention many more names than the 16 or so that overlap with the numbers 101-129 in the delivery book 'Kamera'. About 17 names (either crossed out or not) have to do with cameras on loan. Another 17 names are in the central column and presumably concern names that received (instead of borrowed) a test camera. But many names in the central column do not have a matching camera number. 

One can also see that people that used to reside in the column 'loaner cameras' move to the left column. And that loaner cameras usually have no number, with the exception of Nr. 116, which is linked to Lehr.

In a next contribution I would like to discuss this Null-Serie dynamics. I would like to explain how this Null-Serie dynamics relates to the missing numbers 123-125.

And how one can formulate an alternative hypothesis in which both the Null-Serie of 1923 and the second test series of 1924 are part of one more or less continuous flow of test cameras between early 1923 and late 1924.   

  

1998-VIDOM 69-Nr-100-129.pdf 2011-VIDOM 101-Nr-101-129.pdf

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[zeitz]

2 hours ago, Roland Zwiers said:

Now the US patent office is in Arlington, Virginia.

There are currently five patent offices in the US.  In addition to Alexandria, VA (not Arlington) there are offices in:  Detroit, MI; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; and San Jose, CA.  It is highly likely there was an office in New York City in the 1920s.

[zeitz]

If one were sufficiently interested in Nr. 107, one might be tempted to examine the US Patent Office records that include the period.  They are stored at the US National Archives.  The records include abandoned patent applications.

https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/241.html#241.3

Note that this group includes 123,600 items (most of them prior to 1871) consuming 4.7 miles of linear shelf space, a little over 2 inches per item.  They must be organized in some way to hone in on the years of interest.

[willeica]

12 hours ago, Roland Zwiers said:

Hello Alan,

It is indeed very interesting to look at the recipients of a test Leica in 1923 and 1924.

The usual approach is to look at the numbers in the delivery book 'Kamera' and to compare these to the work notes of Oskar Barnack (page 115) and to empirical evidence (the surviving test cameras). This approach has also been done in German literature by Dr. Kutscherenko, Ulf Richter and Alfred Wehner. In the attachments are their articles in Vidom 1998 and 2011. Oscar Fricke and Ulf Richter were so kind as to share this information with me.     

You will see that Nr. 107 is discussed as well. The authors infer that it was sent to Leitz New York for a possible patent application. Now the US patent office is in Arlington, Virginia. The authors infer that the patent application never materialised. 

In my opinion there should be a second complementary approach that starts with page 115 of the worknotes of Oskar Barnack. The work notes mention many more names than the 16 or so that overlap with the numbers 101-129 in the delivery book 'Kamera'. About 17 names (either crossed out or not) have to do with cameras on loan. Another 17 names are in the central column and presumably concern names that received (instead of borrowed) a test camera. But many names in the central column do not have a matching camera number. 

One can also see that people that used to reside in the column 'loaner cameras' move to the left column. And that loaner cameras usually have no number, with the exception of Nr. 116, which is linked to Lehr.

In a next contribution I would like to discuss this Null-Serie dynamics. I would like to explain how this Null-Serie dynamics relates to the missing numbers 123-125.

And how one can formulate an alternative hypothesis in which both the Null-Serie of 1923 and the second test series of 1924 are part of one more or less continuous flow of test cameras between early 1923 and late 1924.   

  

1998-VIDOM 69-Nr-100-129.pdf 1.33 MB · 11 downloads 2011-VIDOM 101-Nr-101-129.pdf 1.02 MB · 7 downloads

Do you have a photo of No 126?

William

[Roland Zwiers]

On 6/20/2023 at 7:27 PM, beoon said:

Roland,

Thank you for this topic which I am very interested in.

I recently read an article about Leica 1A Anastigmat number 225 which perhaps might shed some light on the fact that London never received an 0 series camera.

Leica Anastigmat number 225 was up for auction in June 2022 and the new vendor contacted Leica in Wetzlar about this camera.

They confirmed that this camera was delivered on January 29th 1925 to J.W Ogilvy and Co London together with another Anastigmat serial number 181.

These two cameras were the first delivery to J.W Ogilvy (under Leitz order number 430) and Leica believe these were the first Leica cameras to be received in Great Britain.

J.W Ogilvy & Co were the Leitz agents at 20 Mortimer Street, London and in 1928 became E.Leitz (London).

(The rewind knob on 225 has a 3 feathered arrow )

Alan

Hello Alan,

This is very important information!

How can it be that Oskar Barnack's work notes (page 115) show several cameras for New York but none for London?

In 1921 the UK allowed the import of German cameras and lenses again, but subject to import duties of 33 1/3% on the value of the imported items (ad valorem).

These import duties had to temporarily protect the British industry against German competition.

In 1926 these duties were not cancelled, but increased to 50%.

Despite these trade restrictions London had a depot function for international trade.

British importers could import German cameras for re-export, e.g. to Empire destinations.

The yearly British Journal Photographic Almanacs make this clear.

The British importer could re-export the German cameras duty-free, but had to pay a fee for the oversight of a customs official.

 

Now I don't understand why in 1923 so test many test cameras went to New York and none at all to London.

Via London Ernst Leitz could have reached a substantial part of the world market.

 

So it seems that nr. 225 was the first Leica that reached London.

Is it known at what price this Leica was sold in the UK in 1925?

I am comparing prices in 1920s Leica advertisements between countries.

Unfortunately, in many early advertisements the price is not mentioned.

In the British market it would be interesting to see the price increase of a Leica between 1925 (import duty 33 1/3 %) and 1926 (import duty 50%).

 

I found the information on the location of the US patent office in Dr. Kutscherenko, Wehner, Richter (Vidom 2011).

They state that the US patent office was located in Alexandria/ Arlington  Virginia.

Another source for this is Ulf Richter (2009), Oskar Barnack - von der Idee zur Leica.

Ulf Richter (2009) also mentions that the first US patent application was in 1924 for the new self-capping shutter.

 

 

 

[Roland Zwiers]

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10 hours ago, zeitz said:

There are currently five patent offices in the US.  In addition to Alexandria, VA (not Arlington) there are offices in:  Detroit, MI; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; and San Jose, CA.  It is highly likely there was an office in New York City in the 1920s.

I found the information on the location of the US patent office in Dr. Kutscherenko, Wehner, Richter (Vidom 2011).

They state that the US patent office was located in Alexandria/ Arlington  Virginia.

Another source for this is Ulf Richter (2009), Oskar Barnack - von der Idee zur Leica.

Ulf Richter (2009) also mentions that the first US patent application was in 1924 for the new self-capping shutter.

 

I would be interested in the prices of Leicas on the American market in the 1920s.

Unfortunately, many early advertisements do not mention the price.

 

Up to 1913 American import duties on German cameras were very high.

Then in 1913-1914 for a short while import duties were lowered to 15-25%.

This must have inspired Ernst Leitz II to visit the USA in June 1914 so as to have a second look at the American market.

In 1914 New York/ Rochester was still an important center for the American film industry, although the center of gravity was already shifting to Hollywood. 

I don't think it is a coincidence that by April 1914 many products in the 35mm sphere were ripe for production (Mechau-projector, the infrastructure for micro-cinematography, the Ur-Leica itself). 

 

After 1918 American import duties were increased again.

But this didn't stop Ernst Leitz II from orienting himself on the American market again.

How otherwise to explain the many 1923 test Leicas that were destined for New York? 

 

[beoon]

Hello Roland,

It would appear that London was indeed bypassed with the allocation of 0 series cameras. So numbers 181 & 225 were the first Leicas to Great Britain.It could be that because Ogilvy was not yet an official Leitz agency at that point, but this is speculation on my part. It would appear that the price in May 1925 & May 1926 was very similar (see attached photos). 

I shall send the 1925 article on the next post due to file size 

Alan

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[beoon]

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[Roland Zwiers]

1 hour ago, willeica said:

Do you have a photo of No 126?

William

Unfortunately I do not have a picture of Nr. 126.

Nr. 126 must be the first numbered camera with a self-capping shutter. 

In my 'Null-Serie dynamics' analysis there must have been unnumbered test series Leicas (117, 123-125) that were produced before the June 1924 patent application.

Nr. 117 is mentioned in the delivery book 'Kamera' as: Muster = Konstr/ test [camera] = construction

I assume that Oskar Barnack cancelled the numbers 117, 123-125 so as to use the reserved material for experiments with a new self-capping shutter. 

 

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There are two entries for Nr. 126 in surviving handwritten registers.

Nr. 126 is mentioned in the delivery register 'Kamera' and linked to the name: Michel Becker. The explanation reads: 'Reisemuster SA'. 

'Reisemuster' may be interpreted as 'traveling test camera'. Leica literature assumes that SA stands for 'Süd America'. This is indeed a possibility as Michel Becker was a traveling agent for Ernst Leitz. In my opinion 'SA' can also stand for 'Sonder Auftrag' or special order. Ottmar Michaely infers that Nr. 126 was both engraved and assembled on 7 November 1924. If so, then this camera must have had a special treatment (so special order). Ulf Richter infers that the cameras that were engraved at the end of 1924, were assembled in the course of 1925. This observation is an important corner stone for my stock-and-flow scenario for the production of Leica I cameras in 1925.    

 

In my opinion the camera 127 for Baumann is equally important.

Leica literature states that it was Anton Baumann who convinced Oskar Barnack to redesign the shutter so that it would be self-capping.

If so, how can it be that Anton Baumann had to wait until Nr. 127 was finished?

Nr. 127 would have had the self-capping shutter from the start.

It is possible, however, that Anton Baumann (like Dr Paul Wolff) could use a loaner camera.

 

 

 

[willeica]

Thanks Roland. I keep coming back to the claim that No 132 was the seventh production I Model A which would make 126 the first, irrespective of whether it was test or retail. The self capping shutter and the ‘proper’ speed dial are features in common with other I As and distinguish that camera from the 0 Series. The records I have seen and the information provided by BEOON confirm that the cameras were not issued in strict numerical sequence. I had earlier mentioned the Ogilvy situation which led to Leitz UK. Ogilvy was the first company to advertise the Leica camera in English.

This was a period of flux as Leitz got ready to distribute the Leica camera. Leitz would also the same with Lutz Ferrando in Latin America. 
 

God luck with getting the US Patent Office to assist in finding No 107. There was also a story about a 0 Series located in a US university if I remember correctly. Bill Rosauer ‘derleicaman’ would be best person to talk to about 0 Series that might still be hanging around in the US. 
 

William 

[beoon]

1 hour ago, willeica said:

Thanks Roland. I keep coming back to the claim that No 132 was the seventh production I Model A which would make 126 the first, irrespective of whether it was test or retail. The self capping shutter and the ‘proper’ speed dial are features in common with other I As and distinguish that camera from the 0 Series. The records I have seen and the information provided by BEOON confirm that the cameras were not issued in strict numerical sequence. I had earlier mentioned the Ogilvy situation which led to Leitz UK. Ogilvy was the first company to advertise the Leica camera in English.

This was a period of flux as Leitz got ready to distribute the Leica camera. Leitz would also the same with Lutz Ferrando in Latin America. 
 

God luck with getting the US Patent Office to assist in finding No 107. There was also a story about a 0 Series located in a US university if I remember correctly. Bill Rosauer ‘derleicaman’ would be best person to talk to about 0 Series that might still be hanging around in the US. 
 

William 

Null series number 114 which is part of the Charles Messer collection is housed in the University of Miami

Edited June 22, 2023 by beoon

[zeitz]

4 hours ago, Roland Zwiers said:

I found the information on the location of the US patent office in Dr. Kutscherenko, Wehner, Richter (Vidom 2011).

They state that the US patent office was located in Alexandria/ Arlington  Virginia.

Another source for this is Ulf Richter (2009), Oskar Barnack - von der Idee zur Leica.

 

1 hour ago, willeica said:

God luck with getting the US Patent Office to assist in finding No 107.

Roland, you have to be careful relying on secondary sources.  My information I used from web searchs is from the US Patent Office website and the US Library of Congress.  My real point here is that the US Patent Office worked and still works out of more than one location in the US.  It is very plausible that New York City had a US Patent Office in the 1920's.  It is also logical that if E Leitz worked through New York City even then it would work with a US Government office in New York City.

William, the US Patent Office would be of no help.  All records and materials would have gone to the US National Archives and the Smithsonian Institution by now.

It would take a trained archivist used to dealing with storage institutions to go down this difficult path with low probability of success.  Wes Loder?

Is there an English translation of the 2011 Vidom article for Kamera Nr 107?  I am embarrassed to say that my German is so bad that I have not worked through that page yet.

[Roland Zwiers]

Hello Zeitz [sorry that I don't know your proper name],

 

You are absolutely right that one must be careful with secondary post-war sources.

But when the only available source is a secondary one, than I still may have to use it, knowing its limitations and provided that I quote the original source.

In post-war Leica literature there are many legends on Oskar Barnack, Prof Max Berek, Dr Paul Wolff, the Perutz Fliegerfilm that are contradicted by pre-war primary sources and/ or empirical evidence.

The only way to make progress is to base oneself as much as possible on primary and empirical sources.

And to discuss these in forums like these.

Even primary sources like Oskar Barnack (1931), Max Berek (1933, 1948) and Dr Paul Wolff (1937, 1949) may have had reasons for not telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

That adds an additional layer of complexity!

 

 

[Roland Zwiers]

6 hours ago, willeica said:

Thanks Roland. I keep coming back to the claim that No 132 was the seventh production I Model A which would make 126 the first, irrespective of whether it was test or retail. The self capping shutter and the ‘proper’ speed dial are features in common with other I As and distinguish that camera from the 0 Series. The records I have seen and the information provided by BEOON confirm that the cameras were not issued in strict numerical sequence. I had earlier mentioned the Ogilvy situation which led to Leitz UK. Ogilvy was the first company to advertise the Leica camera in English.

This was a period of flux as Leitz got ready to distribute the Leica camera. Leitz would also the same with Lutz Ferrando in Latin America. 
 

God luck with getting the US Patent Office to assist in finding No 107. There was also a story about a 0 Series located in a US university if I remember correctly. Bill Rosauer ‘derleicaman’ would be best person to talk to about 0 Series that might still be hanging around in the US. 
 

William 

Hello William,

 

I very much doubt that No 132 was the seventh model that was produced.

In this early period cameras were not produced in a strictly chronological order.

It is more likely that Nr 132 was the seventh would-be Leica I camera that was engraved.

But after engraving all these first 512-600 cameras of November-December 1924 ended up at several assembly tables.

It would take some nine months before the last of these cameras was finally assembled.

So who knows what camera out of this oversized batch finished in 7th position?

Note that the earliest cameras that went to Berlin  (Nr. 130, 132, 143) were delivered on 16 January 1924 (Auftragnummer 416).

This implies that these numbers were finished at about the same time.

Nr. 133 to Baumann in Giessen was actually delivered on 19 December 1924, which implies that nr. 133 was finished before Nr. 130 and 132.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Roland Zwiers]

1 minute ago, Roland Zwiers said:

Hello William,

 

I very much doubt that No 132 was the seventh model that was produced.

In this early period cameras were not produced in a strictly chronological order.

It is more likely that Nr 132 was the seventh would-be Leica I camera that was engraved.

But after engraving all these first 512-600 cameras of November-December 1924 ended up at several assembly tables.

It would take some nine months before the last of these cameras was finally assembled.

So who knows what camera out of this oversized batch finished in 7th position?

Note that the earliest cameras that went to Berlin  (Nr. 130, 132, 143) were delivered on 16 January 1924 (Auftragnummer 416).

This implies that these numbers were finished at about the same time.

Nr. 133 to Baumann in Giessen was actually delivered on 19 December 1924, which implies that nr. 133 was finished before Nr. 130 and 132.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note that the earliest cameras that went to Berlin  (Nr. 130, 132, 143) were delivered on 16 January 1924 (Auftragnummer 416).

This must be: 

Note that the earliest cameras that went to Berlin  (Nr. 130, 132, 143) were delivered on 16 January 1925 (Auftragnummer 416).

[Roland Zwiers]

9 hours ago, beoon said:

Hello Roland,

It would appear that London was indeed bypassed with the allocation of 0 series cameras. So numbers 181 & 225 were the first Leicas to Great Britain.It could be that because Ogilvy was not yet an official Leitz agency at that point, but this is speculation on my part. It would appear that the price in May 1925 & May 1926 was very similar (see attached photos). 

I shall send the 1925 article on the next post due to file size 

Alan

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Hello Alan, This May 1926 pricelist is fascinating information, thank you so much!
Are these two pages part of the same pricelist?  

It is possible that these are still the old prices before the increase in import duties from 33 1/3 to 50%.

Roland

[Roland Zwiers]

9 hours ago, beoon said:

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Hello Alan,

This is the review in Amateur Photographer that I have been looking for!

[Amateur Photographer 1925 Volume 1 is still missing in my collection.]

The price in 1925 is even lower than in 1926.

This seems to be the case in other countries as well, possibly because of increasing economies of scale.

Very important information in these early 1925 reviews is the observation by neutral editors that Leica negatives could be enlarged to postcard size (without loss of quality) or even to 12x10" (satisfatory) .

This puts a later quote by Dr Paul Wolff, namely that he couldn't get a decent postcard print from an early Leica negative, in perspective.

The films that were available in 1925 could very well pass the postcard-size criterion.

This implies that the said quote by Dr Paul Wolff must have applied to earlier Leica films!

And so that Dr Paul Wolff must have made use of a test series Leica before 1925!

In my manuscript I have more evidence that points in this direction.

 

Another question has to do with your issue of Amateur Photographer of May 27th, 1925.

Do you have the covers and ads as well?

It strikes me that Leitz frequently placed advertisements in the review numbers of 1925 photo magazines.

I will show you an example from the Netherlands.

 

Roland 

  

[Roland Zwiers]

10 hours ago, beoon said:

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Hello Alan,

This is the Leica advertisement in the April 1925 issue of the Dutch magazine De Camera.   

This may well be the first foreign Leica advertisement!

The same issue has the Leica review.

The review has an accompanying picture, enlarged 2x, but unfortunately the film make is not specified.

From an early German review in late March 1925 it appears that Leitz had preloaded the camera with a Toxo cine negative film.

This suggests that the Toxo cine negative film was the first Leica film.

Note that Curt Emmermann (1931) also mentions that he received his test Leica (end of 1924 or very early in 1925) with a film inside.   

The first Perutz film (with Grünsiegel/ green seal emulsion) appeared immediately after the introduction of the Leica.

 

Roland 

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[willeica]

2 hours ago, Roland Zwiers said:

Hello William,

 

I very much doubt that No 132 was the seventh model that was produced.

In this early period cameras were not produced in a strictly chronological order.

It is more likely that Nr 132 was the seventh would-be Leica I camera that was engraved.

But after engraving all these first 512-600 cameras of November-December 1924 ended up at several assembly tables.

It would take some nine months before the last of these cameras was finally assembled.

So who knows what camera out of this oversized batch finished in 7th position?

Note that the earliest cameras that went to Berlin  (Nr. 130, 132, 143) were delivered on 16 January 1924 (Auftragnummer 416).

This implies that these numbers were finished at about the same time.

Nr. 133 to Baumann in Giessen was actually delivered on 19 December 1924, which implies that nr. 133 was finished before Nr. 130 and 132.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Roland Zwiers said:

Note that the earliest cameras that went to Berlin  (Nr. 130, 132, 143) were delivered on 16 January 1924 (Auftragnummer 416).

This must be: 

Note that the earliest cameras that went to Berlin  (Nr. 130, 132, 143) were delivered on 16 January 1925 (Auftragnummer 416).

I mentioned before that the numbered cameras were not issued in strict numeric sequence. That is obvious from the delivery registers. This may also be true as regards manufacture. Jumps in numbering sequence are also quite a common occurrence in the history of Leica cameras.  Following from that, as regards whether No 132 was the seventh camera actually issued, any statement about that should be qualified as being 'by number'. 

According to what was written on the document I saw in the Leica Archives, No 132 and a number of the others mentioned were delivered in January 1925.

The point about which cameras were 0 Series and which were I Model As (whether for test or retail) is an important one. Leitz must have been doing a lot of testing and development throughout 1924 to achieve the I Model A by end 1924/early 1925. There are not that many serial numbers between 122 and 126. Unnumbered cameras or would that go against the German engineering mindset?

William