Exactly three years ago in April 2019 members of the Leica Society enjoyed their last pre-Covid gathering in Nottingham. At the time, we were all looking forward to the planned 2020 meeting in beautiful Buxton Spa in the High Peak district of Derbyshire. Sadly, the pandemic put paid to all such social activities and we had to wait until 2022 for our trip to Buxton. It finally took place last weekend and was a great success.
After all this time, I was determined to make the trek from London, even though I could stay only for the opening day on Saturday. It was a very social occasion, though, and I met up with many old friends. I was gratified to find that most of the TLS members I encountered were readers of Macfilos. And there was actually quite a gathering of Macfilos contributors, including William Fagan, Dan Bachmann, Dennis Anguige, Tom Lane and John Brockliss. It’s a small but friendly world.
Ice-breaker
On Saturday professional photographer Sarah Lee recounted her “journey with Leica”, explaining how for the past ten years she has used rangefinder digitals almost exclusively in her work, despite the challenges inherent with manual focus in fast-moving situations. How to use a Noctilux wide open while shooting ballet dancers in action: Sarah knows how. Above all, she finds the unobtrusiveness and reputation of Leica to be an ice-breaker and talking point, particularly when photographing leading figures in the entertainment industry.
She made the interesting point that many professional photographers who use other marques for work often have a Leica or two stashed away for their personal recreation. In the afternoon, Homer Sykes talked about his 50 years of documenting life in Britain, including his decades-long project of photographing the most obscure traditions and quirky annual events.
Legends of Leicadom
I was sorry to miss the Sunday presentation by world-renowned vintage Leica expert and author, Jim Lager, on the subject of “Jim’s Legendary Leicas”. Macfilos readers will recall his recent article describing his encounter with Alfred Eisenstaedt in 1979. I did have the opportunity to chat with Jim the day before and he entertained us by producing his chosen travel camera, an elderly D-Lux with a home-fangled grip made from a broom handle. This is how the experts do it, so please take note. It was a pleasure also to meet another of the world’s leading authorities on historic Leicas, Lars Netopil of Wetzlar Auctions.
President David
Our president, Sir David Suchet, a lifelong Leica enthusiast, had travelled to Buxton and was clearly enjoying the opportunity to meet members for the first time in three or four years. I was able assure him that I am taking good care of the 24-90 mm Vario-Elmarit which I acquired from him last year when he changed over to the lighter but faster 24-70 mm. Despite its heft, the 24-90 has always been one of my favourite lenses and, combined with the SL2 (or even the Panasonic S5) it makes a great lens for event photography. I rather foolishly sold my original version back in 2017, having decided it was too heavy, so the opportunity to buy David’s cast-off was a happy coincidence and I’ve gained my second wind.
This was the first social event of this kind I’ve attended since the outbreak of Covid and it felt very much like business as normal. There wasn’t a mask in sight and I didn’t hear the subject of the pandemic raised once. All very refreshing and encouraging.
You can find details of The Leica Society here
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Thanks for your excellent article Mike on what was a long awaited and most enjoyable weekend. With three inspirational speakers and the chance to once again meet old friends I know the event was enjoyed by all. How come I missed catching up with you in person Mike? It was not intentional I sure you! Your photos of the meeting capture the spirit perfectly.
I’m sorry, too, John. I saw you at a distance several times — including in the published picture — but I somehow got sidetracked every time. Sadly I couldn’t stay for Sunday or I would certainly have had the chance to chat.
Mike
Hi Mike, I would assume these gatherings are mostly M-centric but were there any discussions about the demise of the Leica CL and Leica APS-C? Any new information or insights?
No, I wouldn’t say M-centric by any means. The members tend to have every flavour of modern Leica and many are specialists in older models. But SL, Q and even the Panaleicas are represented. I intended to raise the CL issue with Jason Heward, Leica’s UK MD when he said a few words. However, I didn’t get the opportunity and they wanted to move on. I wasn’t too bothered because I know what he would have said, that the CL is still current. This will be the case until the last new models have left the dealers’ shelves! Quite a few people I spoke to were disappointed at the demise of APS-C butI didn’t detect any really strong views.
You say Lars Netopil was there ..with his sister Lenora Split? ..And his cousin Stella Prion? (..This ‘Anagram Master’s a great MacOS app for only 89 pence!) ..How about Rosella Pint? ..For those who’ve ever wanted to buy diesel tractor oil, I believe there was Rotella Snip, too.
When an upstairs door got stuck, I’m told the venue offered to Install Rope, and for dinner, the main feature was Spiral Lento. And this month – completely unconnectedly – down on the south coast near Southampton, there is, of course, April Solent.
Finally, I understand another of his cousins was there, too ..well known from her amateur dramatics fussing-about in the Archers; Portia Snell.
[I’ve never really believed that that is his actual name.]
Very interesting, Divad.
Chasmal Nieve
It was good to see you again, Mike, after nearly 3 years and to have dinner with you last Saturday night. The Leica Society is, indeed, a friendly group and it was good to see many old friends again. It is 165 miles in a direct line from Dublin to Manchester and the flight is only 40 minutes flying time, but it took me 8 hours door to door to get to Buxton and 8.5 hours coming back, the latter due partly to Ryanair having to find another plane after the intended one developed a window break and also to having a 45 minute wait in Dublin for a taxi on my return after midnight. At Manchester on the way out it took me 45 minutes to find my pre-booked taxi, which had disappeared. Airports are just horrible places these days and as for walking around one of them without a mask I would never dream of doing that. Did you mention the snow that greeted our arrivals into Buxton?
Despite the ‘tricky logistics’, I mainly went to see my good friend Jim Lager who I have not seen since we were together in Boston in 2019. We are, of course, in regular contact all the time about vintage Leica matters and it was the icing on the cake to have Lars Netopil there is well. If I am stumped about something relating to vintage Leicas I always ask Jim about it and he usually comes back with a precise answer, but if he is unsure he asks me ” What does Lars think? “. Sometimes I have already asked Lars. It is only rarely that all 3 of us are stuck for an answer, but I have other friends in various countries around the world who I can also ask about such issues. There is a global community of vintage Leica enthusiasts out there who help one another and Jim and Lars are at the top of the tree when it comes to that.
Jim’s talk on rare Leicas and what the delivery registers in Wetzlar tell us about their history, owners etc was fascinating. Some members brought along items for Jim to examine and he saw some items that even he had never seen before. While I was at a table examining some items with Jim and others I was called away to be presented with a raffle prize by Sir David Suchet. I had a choice and chose a lovely book of photos by Giles Johnson, TLS Exhibition Secretary. Its contents would make a great Macfilos article. Giles did a wonderful job on the exhibition of prints by members
As for finds, I bought an Agfa-Leitz film cassette from the 1930s from Jem Kime, the vintage camera dealer from Manchester. it is a true descendant of the Leica FILCA cassette, which featured in my ‘Swiss Photos’ story. It also came in a 1930s Agfa name-stamped aluminium container, which neither Jim nor Lars had seen before. Esoteric stuff, but nice to find in a place like Buxton.
My next Leica conference will be the LHSA-International Leica Society Conference in Dublin next October, which I will be chairing. I received plenty of indications of interest over the weekend. I won’t have to travel far for that and hopefully the world’s airports will have ‘normalised ‘ a bit by then. i want the Dublin conference to be warm and friendly, just like the one in Buxton. Well done to Tony Cole and his colleagues for organising such a great event.
William
PS The Photographic Collectors Club of Great Britain (PCCGB), another great friendly society to go alongside TLS and LHSA, have asked me to speak at their AGM in Poole in Dorset, on the weekend after the Dublin Conference.
William, good to see you also. Interesting that the distance from Dublin to Buxton is the same as that from London to Buxton. It took me 2h 35m in the Macfilos Tesla, but then I didn’t have to go through any airports. Those roads in the Peak District are not fashioned for fast travel, however. Good luck with all your ventures in 2022.
Wow, thank you for this, especially the embedded links. That book by Homer Sykes is wonderful (115 quid yikes).
That was just one link, but I think some of his books can be had for much less if you do a search.
No color pics?, so vintage monochrome club!
Just my fancy, that’s all. Don’t read anything into it.
This sound and looks great, Mike. Thanks for sharing your impressions. It’s good to hae such experiences again and it seems it has done you good. Once I have the age of the average participant I will, maybe, get an invitation to talk about The M Files which will have become a life’s work (I should not have started this, but now I’m in and dermined to carry on). In any case, it is very nice to be linked to this “small but friendly world” via Macfilos. The community here is also small but friendly after all. Thanks for all your effort, JP
I agree that the demographics tend towards the more “mature” Leica enthusiast. However, I did meet some new members who were considerably younger than the average. It’s a problem everywhere to attract younger people to social organisations such as the Leica Society. Most of the members I’ve spoken to have been Leica fans for 30, 40 or 50 years and a bit of new blood would do wonders. I can, of course, engineer an invitation to speak at a future event. I think the back catalogue of M Files now constitutes a seminal work that could one day find its way into a book. So you would probably be most welcome as a speaker at future Spring events…
What a magnificent gathering! Wish I could have been a fly on the wall, I figure you folks have forgotten more than I will ever know! Since your last meeting was Nottingham did Mr lager borrow some of Robin Hood’s yew wood for handle, and does the Sheriff have APB out for him? Was interested to read about Sandra Lee I have followed her as best I could since her first article on an M-E. I found Mr SUCHETs book interesting! Do you have to be in UK to belong? I quit LHSA when they scheduled a get together on the left coast in a state that supports Defund the Police! For a serious question I will have enough $ for Q2 or Q2M by June since I have a Q should I get 2m, I use the settings of Nicole Struppert a German photog who uses her Q more than M ! I am leaning 2m because of jono slack review! Feel free share your thoughts!
John, there is an overseas membership option if you have a look at the website (link in article).
This is a lovely thing to do after being cooped up for so long. It’s very energizing to have these conversations with people you have known for many years and who share your interests.
I’m hoping that we can get back to doing something similar in Chicago with Dan Tamarkin at Tamarkin Gallery. Before Covid, Dan organized a steady stream of exhibitions and photography workshops/walkabouts. I’ve missed that sense of connection and shared experience.
Here’s hoping wherever we are that we can return to this kind of in person gathering.
I met Dan at the 2018 LHSA meeting in Wetzlar. A really nice guy and we got on well. William Fagan has visited his store in Chicago and wrote about it in a Macfilos article which you can search for.