1926 - Leica Model A

THIS LEICA MODEL A (LEICA I), SERIAL NUMBER 1336, REPRESENTS THE GENESIS OF A LEGEND. PRODUCED IN 1926—THE SECOND YEAR LEICA I WAS OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED—IT STANDS AS ONE OF THE EARLIEST WITNESSES TO THE ERA OF 35MM MINIATURE PHOTOGRAPHY. WITH EXTREMELY LOW SURVIVAL RATES, PRODUCTION OFFICIALLY BEGAN AROUND SN 100, MAKING SN 1336 ONE OF THE FIRST 1,300 MASS-PRODUCED LEICAS WORLDWIDE. AT THIS STAGE, EVERY CAMERA WAS MANUALLY ASSEMBLED AND ADJUSTED BY TECHNICIANS IN WETZLAR, CHARACTERIZED BY SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL VARIATIONS AND A HAND-CRAFTED FINISH. SPECIFICATIONS WERE NOT YET STANDARDIZED; EACH LENS WAS INDIVIDUALLY CALIBRATED AND PAIRED ONE-TO-ONE WITH ITS SPECIFIC BODY.