Re: What Have I Got? (leica carrying case)

[Paul Schliesser <paulsc@eos.net>]

>i have a leather hard case: 7.75" x 9.25" (top cover) x 2.75" h
>the top has the usual leather hinge and a carrying strap is attached
>to the top near the hinge and goes through small ports attached to the
>box to give a stable carrying position.
>
>on the cover there is an imprint, possibly earlier gold filled, which
>says 'Leitz' above 'Leica. in the script style with the underline
>flourish. on the bottom there is an imprint: germany.
>
>when i open it, i see what looks like two positions for lenses, with
>leather straps to fix the lens in position, probably a 135mm and
>a 90mm. in the remaining space there are what are clearly slots which
>carry filters, ten of them, a built up section which seems likely to
>have carried three rolls of film, and next to it another one which has
>a single larger excavated cylinder, and  two built up sections which
>are scooped out to accept the rounded lower half of cylindric unknown 
>objects, possibly sunshades. lastly, there are two small metal spring
>metal shapes which would accept a small rod and keep it from moving
>(it would snap in).
>
>there is no way that a leica body would fit anywhere in theis case.
>
>so, what is it?

Arthur,

In Lager's Leica Literature book, there is a picture from an old catalog 
that looks very close to your discription. The dimensions are similar but 
not exact, but there are several very similar cases in the same catalog, 
so I'd guess that they were a lot of different models and probably a lot 
of variations over time, just like so many other Leica things.

I was amused to see that there is also "the case for the lady," which is 
a leather, art-deco Leica purse, "available in green, red, lilac, dark 
brown and light brown as well as chequered browns." It has a "lunch box" 
handle on the top instead of a strap. It looks like a toy. I doubt that 
Margaret Bourke-White or Gerda Taro carried one of these.

This is from a British Leica accessory catalog from 1935:

ETGUS

Brown solid leather case with sling strap (roughly 7 3/4 x 9 3/4 x 3 1/4 
ins. in size) for the Leica with 5 lenses, viz., the 5 cm. and 3.5 cm. 
"Elmar" lenses, 5 cm. "Hektor" or "Summar" 13.5 cm. "Elmar" or "Hektor" 
(or the 9 cm. "Elmar"), the 7.3 cm. "Hektor" (or the 10.5 cm. "Elmar") as 
well as the "Vidom" universal view-finder, angular view-finder (or range 
finder of the standard Leica*), reflecting view-finder, frame finder, 
four filters, three front lenses and three extra spool chambers . . . 
Etgus

* Only when ordered.


The picture shows it absolutely crammed full of stuff, some of which is 
hard to identify (especially since I don't know the LTM stuff that well). 
As you look at the case with the hinge side away from you, there are 
three spaces for film cassettes in the near left corner. The camera (with 
lens) sits with its back against the side of the case closest to you. The 
left side of the camera is against the film cassette holder in the lower 
left corner, and tucks behind the second cassette holder. The lens 
extends alongside the second and third cassette holder. The picture shows 
a long lens (like a 13.5 cm.) attached to the camera, which is held by a 
strap alongside the third cassette holder. Since it tucks in like it 
does, it might not be obvious where the camera should fit (provided it is 
the same case).

Another lens (the size of a fat 90mm) is alongside the lens on the 
camera, to its left, just past the third cassette holder, where there is 
a strap for it. There is another lens/strap beyond the end of the lens on 
the camera, and two short lenses sit to the right of the camera's lens at 
right angles to it. There are a whole bunch of little flat pockets with 
filter-shaped objects in them; from the discription I guess that some of 
these are "front lenses", whatever those are.

I don't see anything that looks like the little rod shape; I can't 
imagine what this would be. If it can hold something thin and flat, 
rather than round, the space might be for a film leader template.

I can make a sketch and email it to you, if you are interested. The case 
looks interesting and clever, but because everything is fitted for 
specific individual pieces, it looks like you can't really deviate from 
the set of items that the case is designed for 

- - Paul