During my recent visit to the Leica Headquarters in Wetzlar for the M10 presentation, I experienced a remarkable moment that connected past and present. Along with my friends Andrea Pacella, Ryuichi Watanabe, and Fabrizio Tudini, we made a pilgrimage to a rather unassuming spot that holds immense significance in photography's history.
We visited the exact location where Oskar Barnack, the visionary who created the 35mm camera, captured the very first Leica photograph in 1914. Standing at that historic manhole, I couldn't help but reflect on how this single moment changed the course of photography forever.
Barnack's innovation - creating a compact camera that used 35mm cinema film - revolutionized photography, making it more accessible and mobile than ever before. That first photograph, taken from this humble spot in Wetzlar, marked the beginning of a new era in visual storytelling.
As a photographer who works with Leica cameras today, standing at this historic site felt like closing a circle. From Barnack's experimental prototype to the cutting-edge M10 we were there to celebrate - over a century of photographic evolution was represented in that moment.
This seemingly ordinary manhole in Wetzlar serves as a reminder of how great innovations often start with simple beginnings. It's humbling to think that the modern 35mm format, which would go on to define photography for generations, began right here.
Being able to share this experience with fellow photographers and friends made it even more special. We all understood the significance of this place in our shared photographic heritage, regardless of what cameras we use today.
[Historical Note: Barnack's first photograph with his prototype would lead to the development of the Leica A, released in 1925, marking the birth of 35mm photography as we know it.]
In an age of rapid technological advancement, visiting this historic spot reminded me that every innovation, no matter how transformative, begins with a single step - or in this case, a single photograph from a manhole in Wetzlar.