I have discovered a fascinating piece of history in a Leica camera from the pre-World War era. During this time, many manufacturers produced both civilian items and wartime tools. Much of the advancements in cameras and watches can be attributed to the funding that companies like Leica, Rolex, and Omega received from wartime contracts. The technology and production techniques developed for military use often found their way into civilian products later on.
The particular camera I’d like to highight today is a Leica III camera, with the serial number #149802, which suggests that it was manufactured in the year 1935. An interesting aspect of this particular model is the attached 13.5cm f4.5 Hektor lens, which carries the serial number #486060, and dates back to 1938. The camera carries a unique characteristic that sets it apart – a US Navy Engraving on the top cover that reads “USN-ORI A-3258.”
At the back, the camera has or rather had a painted six-digit number, which is typically indicative of an inventory number. This engraving and the inventory number hint at the camera’s historical link to the U.S. Navy. Digging a bit deeper into this, according to the Glossary of U.S. Naval Abbreviations, Fifth Edition, published in April 1949, the acronym ‘ORI’ stands for Office of Research and Inventions. This office is now known as the Office of Naval Research, suggesting that this camera may have been used for naval research purposes during its operational years.