Leica: Witness to a Century

The fascinating history of a twentieth-century icon—the first handheld camera—and the people who use it.

The Leica is both a product of the twentieth century's inventive spirit and the means by which that spirit could be documented for posterity. As the first handheld camera, the Leica made possible a new kind of documentary photography, and included among its devoted fans are many of the century's greatest photographers. Its combined qualities of precision and compactness made it an essential tool for photographers everywhere, and today more than ever the Leica is prized by collectors. 120 color illustrations and photographs