Leica I Centenary: 100 Years of the First Portable Camera

Leica celebrates the centenary of the Leica I, the first compact 35mm camera introduced in 1925, with a global program of events and exhibitions throughout 2025. The camera, invented by Oskar Barnack and championed by Ernst Leitz II, revolutionized photography by enabling street photography, documentary, and reportage. The year-long program includes special events in Dubai, Milan (during Fuorisalone), New York, Wetzlar, Shanghai, and Tokyo. At the Leitz Museum in Wetzlar, exhibitions include 'Street Magic' (Feb–May), a Sebastião Salgado show (Jun–Sep), and the Oscar Barnack Award (Oct). Additionally, 12 Leica galleries worldwide will host 'In Conversation' exhibitions pairing two photographers from the Leica Hall of Fame each month, starting with Walter Vogel and Franziska Stünkel in Frankfurt. The series includes Joel Meyerowitz and Barbara Davidson in Los Angeles (postponed due to wildfires), Ara Güler and Lys Arango in Madrid, and others through December in Vienna. Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, artistic director of Leica Galleries International, highlights Barnack's asthma as the impetus for a portable camera. Photographer Joel Meyerowitz describes his Leica as a 'license to see' and a tool of truth.