100 years, 100 stories: Leica marks a century of historic images with a new photo book

You know the name, and you know its photographs. Leica has been part of photography’s story for a century. To mark 100 years since the release of the original Leica I, the company has published 100 Leica Stories, a photography book that brings together moments, images, and reflections shaped through the lens of a Leica camera.

Spanning 320 pages and featuring 170 photographs, the book navigates between familiar milestones and lesser-known accounts. It features work by photographers whose images have helped define how we remember the last century; Henri Cartier-Bresson at Gare Saint-Lazare, Yevgeny Khaldei at the Reichstag, Ilse Bing in the mirror, and Marc Riboud facing the National Guard.

These photographs aren’t included for brand recognition; instead, they carry weight because they’ve lasted, both as documents and as pictures.

Alongside them are stories submitted by Leica users around the world. A camera passed down through a family. An unexpected find in an attic. A moment captured without intention that stayed with someone for decades. These contributions show how the Leica has moved through everyday lives, not just historical events.

Looking through the book, I kept thinking about the camera’s role, not as a symbol but as a tool that’s often been close to change. In war zones, on the street, during protests or just on ordinary afternoons, the Leica’s size and design have made it suited to being present without being seen. That quality runs through many of the images in the book.

There’s also a complete timeline of Leica models in the appendix, from the first camera to the most recent. For some, it will be a reference. For others, a way to trace their own connection to the brand.

100 Leica Stories is out now in Germany, with an international release set for July 14 2025. It will be available through Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store, and authorized retailers for $70 / £50 AU$149.

This isn’t a celebration of a brand so much as an exploration of what it has witnessed, and what people have chosen to share through it. An excellent coffee table book with some of the most important images in recent history.

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The Red Dot brand has launched a number of other products to celebrate its centenary, from limited edition Leica 100 cameras to its millionth M camera, the Leica M11-D 100 Years Edition, and even Leica 100 teddy bears and stationery. Check out our guides to the best Leica cameras and the best books on photography.