Henri Cartier-Bresson Leica M3 black paint camera

Fully original M3 black paint from the second official batch from 1960 (nos. 993501 - 993750) with black paint Summicron 2/5cm no.1587336 (from a batch of 400 black paint lenses nos. 1587201 - 1587600) - camera and lens in good, original and perfect working condition.

The camera was used and owned by Henri Cartier-Bresson from end of 1960 until about 1968 when he gave it to Inge Morath. The inside of the back door has a numbering of the serial number by HCB’s handwriting including the initials “HB” by pencil with the same numbering on the base plate.

The late owner contacted and met Martine Franck in 2008 and she clearly identified HCB’s handwriting. This camera was delivered to a Connecticut Leica dealer in early 1960 when HCB visited Arthur Miller and then used it for shooting the movie Misfits in Nevada directed by John Huston, starring Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift. It was the last movie of Monroe and Gable. The screen synopsis was written by Arthur Miller. The shooting started in August 1960 in Dayton, Nevada. Henri Cartier-Bresson and Inge Morath arrived in Dayton as the first photographers of nine which Magnum sent.

  

One day in the morning, HCB was waiting for his first meeting with Marilyn Monroe. He put the camera on the chair Monroe was supposed to sit. She hesitated, but was soon interested in the shining black camera. HCB said “the camera is waiting for your blessing”. Finally, he got the blessing of her upon the camera. In the book The Misfits by Arthur Miller, a photograph by Inge Morath shows HCB with his M3 on page 69. Magnum photographer Ara Güler took a picture of HCB with this M3 and the Summicron in 1964. It is published in Ara Güler, Creating the 20th Century. 100 Artists, Writers and Thinkers on page 58/59 (the book is included). It clearly shows the camera with the same patina as now. See lot 132 in the photo section for a large print of this image.