Leica has played a defining role in the history of modern photography. Founded in Germany in 1914 by Ernst Leitz, the company became widely recognized after the introduction of the Leica I in 1925, one of the first commercially successful 35mm cameras. Compact, lightweight, and mechanically precise, it fundamentally changed how photographers worked by allowing them to move quickly and capture moments with greater spontaneity and immediacy.

The camera’s portability helped establish 35mm photography as a legitimate medium for journalism, documentary work, and street photography. Throughout the twentieth century, Leica cameras were used by many of the medium’s most influential photographers, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Sebastião Salgado, and Alfred Eisenstaedt. Images captured on Leica cameras documented wars, political movements, cultural shifts, and everyday life, helping shape the visual language of modern reportage.