Leitz Photographica Auction

About Leitz Photographica Auction

Leitz Photographica Auction is a Vienna auction house for vintage cameras and photographs. It is run by Leica Camera Classics GmbH, an Austrian subsidiary of Leica Camera AG. It has served as Leica's official auction house since 2017, and it is based at Westbahnstraße 40 in Vienna's 7th district.

Leica is the house's main focus, but it also sells cameras from other makers. It has access to Leica's archive and to the company's network of dealers and collectors.

History

The auctions began as the WestLicht Photographica Auction, held twice a year at the WestLicht photography museum in Vienna. From 2009 the sales also included fine photographs. Leica Camera AG took a majority stake in the WestLicht auctions in 2014, and the sale has run as the Leitz Photographica Auction since June 2019.

In 2022 the house marked its 20th anniversary. At the 40th auction on 11 June 2022, Oskar Barnack's Leica 0-series no. 105 sold for €14.4 million including buyer's premium. Leica calls it a world record for the most expensive camera ever sold.

• 2014: Leica Camera AG buys a majority holding in the WestLicht auctions
• 2018: Leica 0-series no. 122 sells for €2.4 million including premium
• 2019: The sale is renamed Leitz Photographica Auction
• 2022: Leica 0-series no. 105 sells for €14.4 million

What Leitz Photographica Auction sells

The house holds three kinds of sale. The camera auction covers vintage cameras, lenses and accessories. The house handles everything from rare prototypes to advertising boards and film containers.

• Camera auctions: Vintage cameras and accessories, with a Leica focus
• Photographs auctions: Photography from the 1920s onwards, including New Vision, street and reportage photography
• Leitz ON: Online-only auctions of cameras and photographs

Selling at Leitz Photographica Auction

You can start a consignment online by sending the maker, model, serial number, a description and photos through the consignment form. There are separate forms for cameras and for photographs. The house does not publish a seller's commission on its website.

Buying and bidding

The camera auction is held twice a year. It alternates between Leitz Park in Wetzlar, Germany, in June and the Hotel Imperial in Vienna in November. You can bid in the room, by telephone for lots starting at €500 or more, by written or online absentee bid, or live online.

• Live online: Through leitz-auction.com or LiveAuctioneers
• LiveAuctioneers fee: An extra 5% plus VAT on top of the premium
• Increments: Bids usually rise by about 10%

The buyer's premium is 20% of the hammer price plus tax. For lots that stay in the EU and are not marked with an asterisk, the margin scheme applies and the premium is 24%. For lots marked with an asterisk, VAT of the destination country is charged on the hammer price and the premium. The same premium applies in Leitz ON online auctions.

Location and viewing

The office is at Westbahnstraße 40, 1070 Vienna. After you pay, you can collect items there by appointment, or the house can ship them worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the buyer's premium at Leitz Photographica Auction?

It is 20% of the hammer price plus tax. For lots that stay in the EU under the margin scheme, the premium is 24%.

Where are Leitz camera auctions held?

The camera auction alternates between Leitz Park in Wetzlar, Germany, in June and the Hotel Imperial in Vienna in November. The office is at Westbahnstraße 40 in Vienna.

What is the most expensive camera sold at Leitz Photographica Auction?

Oskar Barnack's Leica 0-series no. 105 sold for €14.4 million including buyer's premium on 11 June 2022. Leica calls it a world record for any camera.