Lot 21 , PLEASE NOTE - A Leica 1, circa 1930

PLEASE NOTE - A Leica 1, circa 1930 with Elmar 50mm f/3.5 lens, with original leather case
£800-1,200

Condition:
Please note this is a Leica model I circa 1930 not 1925 as previously catalogued. Black enamelled finish has been worn away from most of the baseplate and around the edges of the top plate. All exposed metalwork is oxidised and worn. Eyepiece has lost its glass internals but for the back glass. A blob of near matching black enamel has been placed over the number and green foil stuck below it (and also at one end). Spools and shutter working. A few notes on the Leicas' history from the vendor. WW1, my grandfather, graduated from Osbourne house ( pre Dartmouth naval collage ) in 1915 took command of a H Class submarine - the squadron was based Great Yarmouth. The photo showing Jolly Roger is him returning after sinking the heavy cruiser ' Deutschland, the other the submarine itself. Few months later, he himself was attached by U Boat; ensuing zig zag, his boat was hit: there were only 3 survivors - my grandfather was one. The U Boat surfaced, picked up the survivors. At that time, German army guarded POWs' treated airmen and submariners badly. The U Boat commander decided to keep my grandfather in ' close quarters ' at the Wilmshaven naval base. My grandfather & the German commander became friends. Grandfather remained here for rest of war - the Admiralty were not told, my grandmother received telegram advising ' lost in action,' ( I have the telegram ) Some 11 months later she received a letter via red cross advising he was alive and well.... The German commander was on of the Neuirecher wine family. Post WW1 the two families retained contact: this included visits of the children of both families. About 1935 / 36 Frau Neuirecher gave my father the Leica. He and his brother, both graduated from Dartmouth - also becoming submariners. My father kept the camera with him throughout, to include his time on Dorchester in the Bismark action: two of his paintings of the sinking are at Imperial war museum. He continued to S Boats and XCraft - for action against Tirpitz & Bergen. Somewhere I have photos taken by the Leica of these times. Post war, my father & his brothers took control of German windfall yachts, bringing them over to Portsmouth. One was Marabu, Goring's yacht. They camaigned Marabu to include fitting a mizen mast. One photo is of Marubu tuning the mizen. My uncle is at the helm wearing white submariners pullover & cap. The photo was taken by my father using the Leica. The other photos were also taken with the Leica of various family activities. In 1956 my uncle sailed to Bemuda in Marabu for the first post war Onion Patch sailing series versus US Navy. He borrowed the Leica - took reels of film - including a severe storm under bare poles: problem - he forgot to pull the lens out to activate... I can remember my father using the Leica - I was never allowed to go near it: it stayed in a drawer following his death in 1993. I have never used it as by then the SLR was the mode.

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