Vintage silver print, in original wooden frame 60 x 80 cm (23.6 x 31.5 in)
Annotated “Frankfurter Zoo, 1932, Herrn Rektor Dr. Alsdorf, 12/3/1968” in an unidentified hand in ink on the reverse of frame

This image of two lions from the Frankfurt Zoo made the Leica famous in its earliest years. Astonishingly, it was taken by an amateur – Wilhelm Schack, who worked as a zookeeper at the time. In a total enlargement of ca. 60 x 80 cm, the photograph was presented to potential customers at fairs starting in 1932. The print demonstrated impressively what the Leica was capable of. This made it famous quickly; at the same time, it silenced the critics of miniature photography. Indeed, originally the 35 mm negative was not believed capable of high resolution – on the other hand, the stately image of the two lions proved the possibilities of 35 mm photography impressively.
Wilhelm Schack later became known as the author of various books. In 1937 he published the volume The Miracle of the Seagull’s Flight and in 1958 I Hunted the White Rhinoceros – With Camera and Flash in Zululand, featuring imposing animal photographs taken in South Africa. An enlargement of the lion photograph described here hung in Ernst Leitz II’s office for many years. Today it forms part of the archive of Leica Microsystems. The present photograph is from Oskar Barnack’s estate.