[B] What was Heinrich Janke's role at Leitz? [/B]

[Guest Posto 6]

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I have recently purchased two cameras, an SL2 Mot, and an M4-2, with original receipts from Leitz showing they were sold to Mr. Heinrich Janke at the Ernst Leitz Wetzlar styling department. While I understand that he was responsible for the original detailing and styling of the M3, it would also seem that he may have been responsible for other products such as the R4-R7 series and probably others as well. I would therefore be very grateful for any further information on his functions and background at Leitz.

 

Any help that can be provided would be very much appreciated.

[luigi bertolotti]

I have recently purchased two cameras, an SL2 Mot, and an M4-2, with original receipts from Leitz showing they were sold to Mr. Heinrich Janke at the Ernst Leitz Wetzlar styling department. While I understand that he was responsible for the original detailing and styling of the M3, it would also seem that he may have been responsible for other products such as the R4-R7 series and probably others as well. I would therefore be very grateful for any further information on his functions and background at Leitz.

 

Any help that can be provided would be very much appreciated.

 

Nothing to say from myself... but as an advice, post your question in the German forum too (of course, in English,,, most of them haven't problem about... ); in the German forum there are many people who, in some way, have had relationships with the company and its people.

[dkCambridgeshire]

I have recently purchased two cameras, an SL2 Mot, and an M4-2, with original receipts from Leitz showing they were sold to Mr. Heinrich Janke at the Ernst Leitz Wetzlar styling department. While I understand that he was responsible for the original detailing and styling of the M3, it would also seem that he may have been responsible for other products such as the R4-R7 series and probably others as well. I would therefore be very grateful for any further information on his functions and background at Leitz.

 

Any help that can be provided would be very much appreciated.

 

Yesterday I bought a copy of "50 Jahre Leica M" and have only 'browsed' through it so far. However, the index has several references to Heinrich Janke and when I checked them discovered that he was responsible for the design of the M3, M4, M4P and M6. But I think he was part of a design team as Hans-Kurt Uellenberg is also mentioned as a designer of the M4. On page 77 "stylist Heinrich Janke" is mentioned with a picture of his wooden camera model incorporating a selenium meter. Page 93 mentions Dr Ludwig Leitz being a sculptor and him meeting master student sculptor Heinrich Janke in a Hannover studio where Janke was preparing to cast a bronze bust. He impressed Dr Leitz sufficiently to be offered a job with Leitz as a stylist/designer. Page 95 shows a photograph of Leitz stylists Hans-Kurt Uellenberg, Heinrich Janke and Bernd Nickel plus three award certificates one of which, for the M4P, shows Heinrich Janke and Hans-Kurt Uellenberg as designers.

 

The book only covers M cameras in detail over 295 pages with text in German and English.

 

Cheers

 

dunk

[Guest Posto 6]

Looks like this book is well worth getting. It really would be interesting to see his involvement with the Leicaflex/R range, as well as other products, however. It seems that he was probably involved in "styling" many of these...