Hans-Günter Kisselbach - Barnack’s First Leica: The Second Life of a Forgotten Historic Camera

1. The Exhibition in 1979 on the Occasion of Oskar Barnacks 100th Birthday
   and Barnacks Handmade Prototype
2. An Afternoon in Darmstadt Photo Session with Vera
   Dance Tournament in Wetzlar A Weekend in Berlin

Dr. med. Hans-Gnter Kisselbach was born in 1950, and is an ear, nose and throat specialistliving in Wetzlar. He has been a member of the Leica Historica society in Germany for manyyears. The son of author Theo Kisselbach, he was passionate about photography and the Leicafrom an early age.
His idea of testing a modern color film in Barnacks first Leica led to intensive activity with thiscamera, with which he became increasingly fascinated and which accompanied him over thenext 4 years. This book is the result of his work.

Encounters with landmark events in the history of technology the first microscope, the first calculating machine, the firstexplosion-proof miners lamp, the first steam engine, the firsttrain, the first telegraph, the first car, the first light bulb, the firstradio, to name just a few randomly selected inventions arealways ambivalent. The fascination of the first step competeswith misgivings regarding the teething troubles of the prototypes, which are only cured by subsequent improvements.
When Dr. Gnter Kisselbach found a relatively unknown Leicaprototype, Barnacks handmade prototype in his fathersLeica collection, the history of development of the 35mm camera from Wetzlar had long been written. Fortunately, the wealthof established knowledge did not deter the photography enthusiast from finding out himself that substantial blind spots stillexisted in the source area of the Leica history. His fascinatingreport of his experience with the camera proves conclusivelywhat this early personal model belonging to its inventor Oskar Barnack was LoremipsumLoremIpsum

capable of achieving. However, this only becameapparent when the handmade prototype was subjected topractical testing and had to demonstrate the requirements itwas equipped to meet and the points where it reached its limits,which it was only able to overcome in the course of furtherdevelopment.
This book proves convincingly that right from the beginning,Oskar Barnacks 35mm camera with Max Bereks lens possesseda development potential way beyond the requirements thatcan, in retrospect, be deduced from the contemporary film footage and the artistic demands of the early 1920s. What the Leicawas actually capable of, before it received its name and wentinto production in Wetzlar in 1925, unfolds step by step as anexciting adventure in this back to the roots expedition.
Hartmut Schmidt
Former director of the Wetzlar Museums

II

As author of the book Barnacks erste Leica,
I have often been asked if an English version of the book
is planned. I now have decided to publish an English
language version of the book as an e-book and the result is
Barnacks First Leica.
However, if you would like to have the printed version
of the book too I recommend the German edition
Barnacks erste Leica - ISBN 978-3-89506-282-7.
The layout corresponds to the e-book. The book has been
produced with a high print quality so that the photographs
in particular can realize their full impact.

III

For my father Theo Kisselbach

When Oskar Barnacks Leica camera was first presented to the international public at the LeipzigSpring Trade Fair in 1925, nobody could haveforeseen that this little camera was about to cause a revolutionin photography. In the meantime, the Leica camera has been manufactured for 92 years and its success story continues up to thepresent day with the digital Leica M10. An entire region has benefitted from the invention and the Leica has provided work for several generations.

Living in Wetzlar, one was always involved with the Leitz companyand the Leica in some way. The same was true for me, from myearliest childhood, as my father Theo Kisselbach was head of theLeica Technology department at Ernst Leitz. His job and indeedhis vocation was the Leica, and he was able to participate in theglobal success of this camera for many years.
When I first saw the light of day in the early 1950s, there were manycauses for celebration in the Kisselbach family my LoremipsumLoremIpsum