FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Leica Camera Celebrates Renowned Photographer Jim Marshall with Limited Edition Camera
New Leica M Monochrom “Jim Marshall Set” and Gallery Exhibit Featuring Photographs from Marshall’s Unparalleled Jazz Archive to Debut this Month
June 1, 2017 – Leica Camera introduces a limited edition Leica M Monochrom set in homage to Jim Marshall, the first and only photographer to be honored with Grammy’s Trustee Award. There will be only 50 “Jim Marshall Sets” worldwide, which include the new brass plated Leica M Monochrom with a special “Laiton” finish and an inscription of Jim Marshall’s autograph, as well as a Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens, a Jim Marshall Limited Edition Estate print of “Thelonious Monk at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1964” and a special, numbered edition and estate embossed copy of the book Jim Marshall: Jazz Festival. To celebrate the launch of the “Jim Marshall Set”, the Leica Gallery LA will exhibit a selection of prints from Jim Marshall’s Jazz Festival series, chronicling the jazz festivals at Newport and Monterey during the 1960s.
During the extraordinary rise of popular culture and counterculture in the 1960s, Marshall became a staple of the music industry, capturing photos of icons including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Brian Jones, Johnny Cash, and many more. Marshall lived life alongside his subjects and never betrayed their trust, which granted him second-to-none access. He immersed himself in that world more than any other photographer and, in doing so, emerged as an icon for a new generation of music, art and photography.
LIMITED EDITION “JIM MARSHALL SET”
Over the course of his life, Marshall acquired 20 different Leica M bodies, with Leicavit winders modified to fit, alongside over 30 Leica lenses. Every iconic photograph Marshall took was captured with his Leica camera. The Jim Marshall Estate and Leica Camera are proud to offer a limited edition set of 50 units of the Leica M Monochrom “Jim Marshall Set” with a Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. to celebrate Marshall’s legacy and love for his Leica cameras and lenses.
The Jim Marshall autographed Leica M Monochrom and Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. are both made of brass with a special “Laiton” finish, which provides a unique matte quality and a one-of-a-kind appearance for each set. Additionally, the lens, while modern in its optical design, has the classic knurled focus ring and round lens hood reminiscent of the 1960s. The set also includes a Jim Marshall Limited Edition Estate print of “Thelonious Monk at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1964” and a special, numbered edition and estate embossed copy of the book Jim Marshall: Jazz Festival published by Reel Art Press.
JAZZ FESTIVAL EXHIBIT AT LEICA GALLERY LOS ANGELES
In addition to the limited edition camera and lens, Leica Camera will honor Marshall’s legacy with a featured exhibit at the Leica Gallery Los Angeles, titled Jazz Festival, which will showcase some of Marshall’s inimitable images of jazz icons like Miles Davis, Nina Simone and Thelonious Monk.
Though widely celebrated for his rock and roll photography, what has remained largely unrecognized and underappreciated is his incredible jazz archive. These photos were taken in the jazz clubs he loved and frequented throughout his life, even capturing the Newport and Monterey Jazz Festivals in the 1960s. These extraordinary images reflect Marshall’s unique talent and lifelong desire to “capture the perfect moment.”
The exhibit photographs are all from the book Jim Marshall: Jazz Festival, published by Reel Art Press, as well as historic artifacts from his life, including his groundbreaking Grammy award. Marshall holds the distinction of being the first and only photographer to be presented with the Recording Academy's Trustee Award, an honorary Grammy presented to individuals for nonperformance contributions to the music industry. The award was bestowed posthumously on the Jim Marshall Estate in 2014 in recognition of Marshall's unprecedented chronicling of music history from the 1950s through the early 2000s.
Jazz Festival will debut at the Leica Gallery Los Angeles on June 15th with a guest lecture and book signing with Amelia Davis, Marshall’s assistant for 13 years and now the sole owner and operator of Marshall’s archive of photography, from 5-6pm followed by an opening reception from 6-8pm. The exhibit will be open to public viewing through July 31st.
For more information on the exhibit, please visit www.leicagallerylosangeles.com. For more information on prints and the Jim Marshall: Jazz Festival book, please visit www.jimmarshalljazz.com.
About The Leica Gallery Los Angeles
Opened in 2013, The Leica Gallery Los Angeles was created to celebrate Leica photography. The Gallery provides unparalleled access to a rotation of curated exhibits, with imagery captured by classic and contemporary Leica photographers. Beyond the exhibition space, the Gallery also boasts a 1,200 square foot outdoor patio lounge. This serves as an additional location for Leica Akademie workshops, where professional and amateur photographers learn new techniques and get unique perspectives from featured artists. The Leica Gallery Los Angeles is open seven days a week at 8783 Beverly Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. For additional information, including lists of current and upcoming exhibitions, please visit www.leicagalleryla.com.
About Leica Camera
Passion for creating perfect pictures. Leica represents a union of craftsmanship, design and experience. It is a beautiful collision of art and engineering, and the future of form and functionality. Leica Camera is an internationally operating, premium-segment manufacturer of cameras and sport optics products. The legendary status of the Leica brand is founded on a long tradition of excellence in the supreme quality and performance of cameras and lenses, and the iconic images that artists and photojournalists everywhere captured with them. For more information about Leica visit www.leicacamerausa.com, or follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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