100 Years of Leica | Joel Meyerowitz | Barbara Davidson
Leica Store & Gallery Los Angeles is proud to announce a groundbreaking exhibition honoring a century of photographic innovation: 100 YEARS OF LEICA. This remarkable show highlights the work of acclaimed photographers Joel Meyerowitz and Barbara Davidson, underscoring Leica’s pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of modern photography. The exhibition signals the launch of an exciting year-long celebration for Leica’s centennial, featuring a range of inspiring activities, cultural events, and exclusive product releases throughout 2025.
Under the theme “100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century,” the exhibit offers a compelling exploration of how Leica cameras have empowered photographers to capture defining moments that continue to influence our shared visual heritage. From iconic 20th-century street images to contemporary landscapes, visitors are invited to trace the evolution of photography across multiple eras.
“When I first started taking pictures,” says Joel Meyerowitz, “my attention was largely on the action or event at the heart of the frame. But as I grew and began challenging my process, my influences, and even photography as a whole, I realized I needed to push past what I was already good at and strive for more complex, thought-provoking images. This shift took me away from the ‘incident-based photograph’ and led me toward a deeper, more expansive ‘field photograph,’ where each element in the frame holds significance. Instead of relying on one dominant ‘hook’ to captivate the viewer, I wanted the entire frame to resonate as a meaningful, cohesive space.”
In her series of intimate photographs, Barbara Davidson examines the modern American landscape through the lens of social disparity. She focuses on the tangled interplay of inequality, perseverance, and hope, revealing how these forces intersect in contemporary culture. Through her collaboration in “Leica 100,” Davidson and Meyerowitz examine the transformations—both forward and backward—of the American panorama since the golden age of street photography in the 1960s and 1970s. Her work underscores the enduring complexity of the nation’s social tapestry and investigates how people continue to coexist in a drastically altered yet fundamentally resilient environment.
The exhibition runs from March 1 through March 31, 2025, with an opening reception on Saturday, March 1, at 6:00 PM. This show marks the beginning of a vibrant series of events celebrating Leica’s 100th anniversary. Throughout 2025, Leica will host additional exhibitions, special product launches, and global happenings to honor a century of photographic excellence. Visitors to the Leica Store & Gallery Los Angeles can immerse themselves in Leica’s lasting legacy, experiencing the work of legendary photographers such as Meyerowitz and Davidson, whose imagery continues to influence and expand the boundaries of today’s visual culture.
100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century
In 2025, Leica Camera AG commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Leica I, the first 35mm camera to be produced on a large scale. When introduced at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925, the Leica I exceeded all expectations, thanks to its compact form and portable design that revolutionized the world of photography. Under the overarching theme of 100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century, Leica Camera AG pays tribute to this transformative innovation by hosting international events in cities such as Dubai, Milan, New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo. These global gatherings will showcase cultural initiatives, exclusive limited-edition product releases, and culminate in a grand anniversary week at Leica’s headquarters in Wetzlar this June. At the same time, Leica Galleries around the globe will stage prominent exhibitions of celebrated photographers’ work.
About the Authors
Joel Meyerowitz (b. 1938, New York) is an award-winning photographer with a career spanning over five decades. Celebrated as a pioneer of color photography, he has held more than 350 exhibitions in museums and galleries around the globe. A two-time Guggenheim Fellow, he has also received honors from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal. He is the author of 54 published books.
Barbara Davidson has centered her photojournalistic work on individuals striving to uphold their dignity amid the hardships of conflict zones and natural disasters, with a particular focus on women and children affected by gun violence in the United States. Over two decades, she has documented war, humanitarian crises, and the human experience in 58 countries for The Los Angeles Times, The Dallas Morning News, and The Washington Times. A Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award recipient, Davidson has been named International Photographer of the Year twice by Pictures of the Year International (POYi). Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2020, she spent the year traveling across the U.S. capturing portraits of gunshot survivors with a traditional 8×10 film camera. Born in Montreal, Canada, to Irish immigrant parents, Davidson is currently based in Los Angeles.
(cover picture by Barbara Davidson)
100 YEARS OF LEICA | JOEL MEYEROWITZ | BARBARA DAVIDSON
March 1 – March, 31 2025
Leica Gallery Los Angeles – USA
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