The Fernán Gómez Centro Cultural de la Villa Exhibition Hall will be hosting an exhibition from 10 September to 11 January 2026 which commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Leica I camera with a visual journey through street photography, urban landscapes, portraits or nature. A total of 174 photographs and a selection of classic cameras and unpublished material will showcase the brand's profound impact on world photography.
Leica, the iconic German camera brand is celebrating its centenary with a photographic exhibition that offers a visual journey through the milestones of photography over the past hundred years, from the birth of photojournalism to the democratisation of the image, thanks to the portability, reliability and precision of Leica cameras.
174 photographs will be on display, as well as a selection of classic cameras and unpublished material, showcasing the brand's profound impact on world photography. It is a visual journey that addresses universal themes, such as women, crises, nature and people through the work of great international photographers, such as Bruce Davidson, Elliott Erwitt, Alberto Korda, Ralph Gibson, Sebastião Salgado, Steve McCurry, Joel Meyerovitz, Jane Evelyn Atwood, Ricard Terré, Gonzalo Juanes, Manolo Laguillo or Alberto García-Alix.
Previously unseen material from the brand will be on display, including a selection of classic cameras, such as the Leica I (1925) and Leica II (1932), as well as historical material illustrating Leica's technological and aesthetic evolution over the past century. With this centenary and exhibition, Leica confirms its commitment to innovation, excellence and visual art. Photographers, enthusiasts and the general public are invited to embark on a journey through the history and future of a brand that has witnessed and narrated unforgettable images.
Spain has become the country to host the largest number of iconic Leica photographs in a single exhibition to celebrate its centenary. Leica will extend this exhibition in the Leica Gallery Madrid (C. de José Ortega y Gasset, 34), where visitors will be able to see more emblematic photographs that form part of this unique testimony to history.
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Art Director of the Leica Gallery International and curator of the exhibition, says "A new era began with the Leica I, launched in 1925: photographers could work quickly, discreetly and right in the middle of what was happening. The most iconic images of the 20th century would be unthinkable without it: war reports, street scenes, intimate portraits... 100 years of Leica means 100 years of history, art and emotion told through iconic photographs that move and connect people".
Image Credits:
- © Steve McCurry. Magnum Photos
- © Adriana Loureiro Fernández. Paradise Lost
- © Gonzalo Juanes
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