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Eisenstaedt's 'Kiss in Times Square' Leica camera goes to auction

Eisenstaedt's 'Kiss in Times Square' Leica camera goes to auction

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alfred eisenstaedt leica
alfred eisenstaedt leica

If you’re looking for a good deal on an old film Leica, next month’s WestLicht Photographica Auction in Vienna is probably not the place to be. But if you want to take home a piece of photographic history, the IIIa rangefinder that Alfred Eisenstaedt used to take the iconic V-J day photo Kiss in Times Square will be going on sale, expected to sell for €20,000 to €25,000, or about $26,000 - $33,000, reports Amateur Photographer.

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The camera has a lengthy history. Eisenstaedt used the old manual focus Leica through most of his celebrated 60-year career shooting leaders and celebrities for Life magazine. He even used it on his last shoot, capturing President Bill Clinton and his family in 1993, just two years before he died at 96. As part of the auction package, the lucky winner will also get Eisenstaedt’s 50-millimeter f/2 Summitar lens and original VIOOH viewfinder — everything you need to make some of the most famous photos in history, even without a motor drive, a light meter, or flash sync.