Bonhams to Hold Auction in Hong Kong for Rare Leica Cameras



Famed auction house Bonhams is set to hold a fairly sizable auction containing some of the most prestigious and rare Leica cameras to date. The collection contains more than 250 piece of Leica cameras and accessories from a group of select collectors including the estate of late Dr. George Daniels and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Amongst the rare vintage rangefinders is a Leica Luxus I No. 48048. This prized camera — dated back to 1930 — is joined with a 50mm f/3.5 Elmar lens and features a faux lizard-skin camera body covering. As only 95 units were said to be produced, with only a few existing today, this camera is expected to fetch a staggering market price of $1,200,000-1,800,000 HKD (approximately $154,736-232,104 USD). Viewing of the entire collection will be open from October 21-24 at Bonhams’ Knightsbridge location, just a month before it gets shipped to Hong Kong for Auctioning.
Reginald E. Weekes IV