Auction Records Set for Early Camera, Rare Leicas

The final hammer has just fallen at the 17th WestLicht Photographica Auction in Vienna, Austria, and there's a new "World's Most Expensive Camera"—an 1839 Daguerreotype Giroux (above) was sold for €732,000, premiums included (approximately $899,000 and £622,000 at today's exchange rates). It is the most ever paid for a camera. (Alphonse Giroux was the brother-in-law of Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, inventor of the Daguerreotype—and generally credited as the primary inventor of photography, although the full story is more interesting. Note Daguerre's signature on the camera's label—click on the image to see it larger.) WestLicht expert Michel Auer stated that all other Giroux cameras are in public museums.

Several rare Leicas also achieved good prices at the sale, including #15 of the "0 Series" M3 prototypes—a rare perfect survivor from among 65 M3 prototypes produced, many of which no longer exist—which sold for €130,000 ($160,000, £110,000) exclusive of premiums. (With the lens I just wrote about the other day.)

Mike
(Thanks to Dave)

Send this post to a friend

Note: Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. More...
Original contents copyright 2010 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Comments

[Marty McAuliff]

I'm curious about the "many of which no longer exist" part.
Where does a camera of this sort vanish to?

[Mike Johnston]

Marty,
I don't know, specifically. But I imagine some get "used up" while being tested, some are passed out to beta-users, other are used as ordinary cameras and go the way of all things, and so forth. It's easy to imagine that they weren't considered valuable or even interesting early on.

Remember "The Trough of No Value"?

Mike

[Bruce Stinshoff]

I wonder if any of these cameras will actually be used by the new owners - even if just once.

[Mike Johnston]

Bruce,
Well, a number of the cameras auctioned were relatively prosaic--I'm sure a few of them will be used. But these two, at least, the chances are slim to none.

Mike

[Dave]

Lot 364, the black paint Nikon 1 didn't do too badly either - €95,000, not including buyer's premium.

[Andreas]

I went there a 5 p.m., not to the auction but to the shop to buy 2 yellow filters and a green filter for my not so expensive M-mount lenses ;-)

Somehow cool to read this here the other day.

[Maui Photographer]

The Leica is such a work of art. People sure will pay to own a piece of history.