Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/11

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Bob Schwalberg
From: Edward Meyers <aghalide@panix.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 09:19:57 -0500 (EST)

On Sat, 10 Jan 1998, Stanley E Yoder wrote:

> The following is a bit off-[Leica]-topic:
>     Earlier today I was browsing in Pittsburgh's largest used-photo-gear
> emporium, and came to a table of books. I idly picked up a copy of "The
> Retina Way" (of the UK Focal Press series) and inside, on the flyleaf,
> "Bob Schwalberg" (aside: the guys clerking the store hadn't a clue who
> he was).
>     It would be rather fascinating to know where-all that tome has been,
> between Bob's shelf and this store in -ahem - Blitzburgh (written on the
> eve of the AFC champ game here).
> 
>     Sorry about the off-t......but hey! Bob worked for Leitz, didn't he?
> So it's OK, right?
> Stan Yoder
> Pittsburgh 
> 
Bob did work for Leitz from about 1959 to 1967, in Wetzlar. But
he also believed (he told me) that the Retina IIIC and especially
the IIc with 50mm f/2.8 Xenon were some of the finest cameras
made. The baffling technique was superb. Inside the metal "bellows"
was a fabric one to reduce reflections to a bear minimum.
Bob also often did the Minox people a favor by conducting Minox
factory tours. Minox is not far from Wetzlar.
After Bob died in Oct 96, his entire book collection (enormous)
was auctioned off in the beginning of 97 in NYC. In some cases
a box of books would go as one. Perhaps some have landed up
in shops like the one you described. Ed Meyers