Camera traced from factory to owner! (long text!)

[PeLu]

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Dear all,

The camera I asked about in an earlier thread is indeed a K camera. Confirmed by Leica Archives and also from Jim Lager: "

"Not many of these are in collections. A rarely encountered item. 

We can only guess how it got to Sweden from Berlin"

 

Well now I have almost a complete answer. Only one peculiar question remains...

 

The camera was auctioned off from an estate after having spent 20 years in a box. Its owner was Göte Kilden, 1920–2005. Göte’s father, Oscar Kilden, was a merchant who ran Wetterlings paint shop in Jönköping. In addition to paint, they also sold cosmetics and perfumes, often imported from Germany. (Various chemicals were also imported to Sweden at that time — for paint production/solvents?)

Oscar Kilden was a successful businessman with strong finances, and together with his son Göte he frequently traveled to both Germany and Russia. They were impressed by these countries and conducted trade there. In 1936, Göte and Oscar attended the Olympic Games in Berlin.

Göte’s granddaughter recounted that trade continued even during the war. She believes the camera was a gift from Göte to his son. The camera is said to have been purchased during on one of his trips to Berlin (where Leica delivered it). But since trade was tightly regulated by both Sweden and Germany from 1942 onward, the purchase must have been difficult to carry out. The camera was delivered to Berlin in September 1942. At that time, special permits were required in Sweden. Meanwhile, cameras could not be sold on the civilian market in Germany. So how could a Swedish private individual have bought a Leica IIIc K in the middle of a war? One possibility was through the black market. Contacts within diplomatic or commercial networks could also have made it possible. IMaybe political contacts in Germany?

The goods that could obtain state import licenses to Sweden after 1942 included chemicals, optics, cameras, microscopes, etc. Perhaps the camera was imported officially, but in that case it should have come directly from Wetzlar. No documents exist to confirm how or where the camera was purchased. However, most certainly Oscar actually bought it new.

Göte left behind a huge number of photographs. According to the granddaughter, “boxfuls.” Perhaps further clues can be found there?

Im still waiting for the delivery of the camera. However, according to the seller, it has no K on the shutter.

 

I understand that a civilan provinces won’t effect its value but still its interesting. I would really appreciate any thoughts about this information specifically and also information about the trading with leicas in general during the war.

[PeLu]

I need to correct my self! The lady telling me the story was daughter of Göte! Quite important since she has first hand information to share. 

[willeica]

I have a camera, which was involved in another much bigger story, which had been delivered to Berlin on 3 April 1935. It came in a box with writing in Swedish, albeit with a different serial number at the back. I bought the camera from Sweden about 10 or 11 years ago 

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The translation is below, not mine and apologies for the layout.

 

1 the series (serien) numbers (nr) 1 & 2 Berlin the rest(övriga) Gothenberg(Göteborg)

2 the series (serien)Dendenberg(possibly city in Belgium?) The trip to (färden till)  England. numbers (nr) 1 & 2 the North Sea (Nordsjön) _?__May 19, 1935 the rest in (övriga i) England May 21st

3 the series (serien) Do (?) May 22Trent ParkMay 23Knaphill (?)May 23PetsworthMay 23Brenton Park (?)May 23High Down

4 May & June (maj o juni) 1935 Travellers Club  trip to (utfärd till) Bohse(?) _______historiska [trip to _____historical place](Kalmar - ___?__-___?___-Karlskrona) [Cities] Linnésällskapet (an organization - to preserve the work of scientist/botanist Carl Linnaeus http://www.linnaeus.se/)   (Stenbrohult, Råshult,____?____) [villages in south Sweden]

I have a photo somewhere showing the Crown Prince of Sweden at the tribute to Carl Linnaeus in June 1935. The important thing and relevant to your story is that a Leica bought in Berlin in 1935 was able to find its way to Gothenburg and then on to Britain in May 1935 and back to Sweden again for an important botanical event. I suspect the owner was a botanist.

I hope this makes sense.

The camera also featured in this story which got about 6 million reads in the Winter of 2020/1

https://www.macfilos.com/2020/09/11/swiss-roll-hidden-for-70-years-these-photographs-were-recovered-from-an-ancient-leica-film-cassette/

William 

 

 

 

 

[PeLu]

That is truly a fantastic story! Let me know if you suddenly get the idea to donate it back to Sweden….

no. Jokes aside. Truly amazing and something one can only dream about as a collector. Personally I’m just happy to know my cameras origin even if it’s unclear exactly how he bought it. 
 

Is it an urban legend that Leicas was smuggled from Germany via Denmark, Sweden and Norway to be shipped to UK? If so - do anyone know when and what cameras ended up in England that way? (Not that I think mine is from that origin)

Lots of exiting stuff happened in Sweden during the war. Sweden sold ore and iron to Germany and bought different kind of gods during the war. At the same time Swedish, American and UK secret organisation (and more countries as well) supported the allies based in Sweden For example they supported smuggling of weapons from Northern part of Sweden to the resistant movement in Norway. Smuggling was done by Same people who loaded their sleds behind reindeers and took it over the mountains. 

Would be interesting to know if something similar happen in the south with Leicas.