47 - Leica | MP à la carte 'Michel Comte'

Leica | MP à la carte 'Michel Comte' Estimate: €14,000–16,000 Year: 2003 Serial No.: 3008785 Condition: B/A English: A very special Leica presentation MP made for the renowned Swiss photographer Michel Comte, with his signature engraved by Leica on the back of the top plate. Serial No. 3008785 is part of the Leica MP à la carte series produced in 2003, featuring a brown leather finish. Comte was closely associated with the Leica MP from its introduction and was one of the photographers chosen by Leica to represent the new model. In Leica’s original 2003 MP brochure, “The Photographer’s Tool,” Comte was prominently featured alongside his photographs and described the new MP as having become “part of me” and an extension of his eyes. Leica again featured Comte and his MP in *Leica World News* in 2004, emphasizing his preference for the fully mechanical camera when working under difficult conditions and in remote regions. The present camera, bearing Michel Comte’s signature engraved by Leica, is therefore an exceptional example with personal provenance dating precisely from the period in which Comte played an important role in Leica’s introduction and promotion of the MP. A remarkable Leica MP that combines the history of one of Leica’s most important modern analog cameras with the personal provenance of one of the leading international fashion and portrait photographers of his generation. The camera is in very fine, original, and working condition, with a silver Elmarit-M 2.8/24mm ASPH no. 3848521 (perfectly clean lenses, UVa filter, hood, cap) and strap. It comes with a limited-edition (1/2) black-and-white 24x30cm signed portrait of Michel Comte featuring this camera and a certificate of origin signed by Michel Comte and issued to the former owner. The camera is in perfect working order. German: A very special Leica MP, custom-made as a presentation camera for the renowned Swiss photographer Michel Comte and engraved by Leica with his signature on the top cover. The serial number 3008785 belongs to the 2003 Leica MP à la carte series with brown leather trim. Comte had been closely associated with the Leica MP since its introduction and was among the photographers Leica selected to represent the new model. In the original 2003 Leica brochure “The Photographer’s Tool,” Comte was prominently featured alongside his photographs. He described the new MP as “a part of me” and as an extension of his eyes. Leica featured Comte and his MP again in 2004 in *Leica World News*, emphasizing his preference for the fully mechanical camera when working under difficult conditions and in remote regions. This camera, bearing Michel Comte’s signature engraved by Leica, is thus an exceptional, personally traceable specimen from precisely the period when Comte played a significant role in the introduction and promotion of the MP. This remarkable Leica MP combines the history of one of the most important modern analog Leica cameras with the personal provenance of one of the leading international fashion and portrait photographers of his generation. The camera is in very fine, original, and fully functional condition, complete with a silver Elmarit-M 2.8/24 mm ASPH No. 3848521 (perfectly clean lenses, UVa filter, lens hood, and lens cap) and a carrying strap. Also included is a signed black-and-white portrait (edition 1/2, 24 × 30 cm) showing Michel Comte with this camera, as well as a certificate of provenance signed by Michel Comte and issued to the previous owner. The camera functions perfectly.