A few days ago I came across an interesting Leica M2 in a photo store's window in Munich. Under the advance lever, on the back of the top plate, it showed a tag with Property of U.S. Government in red letters on top. The next line showed the NASA logo in large red letters, followed by a number (190554) that had been stamped into the tag. (The other information was printed on it.) Below the number, it read Langley Research Center in small black letters.

The M2 is a regular chrome one, serial number 1107xxx (which dates it to 1965 AFAIK, but correct me if that's wrong), with a few small dents and scratches that probably prove that it was actually used. The tag seems to have been on the camera since that time as it shows similar traces. There was no lens mounted.

So, what is it? A good fake? Is there, or was there, a NASA facility in Langley? I don't intend to buy the camera, but living in a place where intelligence agents of a dozen agencies would step on each others' toes, I'm curious. ¡Thank you in advance for all information!

-- Oliver Schrinner (piraya@hispavista.com), September 20, 2001

Answers

Langley Reasearch Center is or was attatched to Langley Air Force Base In Hampton Virginia. I know they did weightlessness training along with verticle takeoff aircraft developement. I believe the landing gear for the Appollo lunar missions was developed there also.

Steve

-- Steve Belden (otterpond@tds.net), September 20, 2001.

Hi Oliver,

been to the Photo Raritäten Center ? I've seen that M2 as well, but also decided against it (the price tag is quite high). I spoke to the shop owner one day and he indeed confirmed that this has been an original NASA camera (won't say much, but this guy has always been honest to me when I bought something from him or he from me). But he had not much to tell about the history as far as I remember.

Kai

-- Kai Blanke (kai.blanke@iname.com), September 20, 2001.

I can answer at least half of your question. Yes, there is a NASA Langley, and they do focus on VTOL theory and testing. As far as there ever being a NASA M2... Probably, as there have been Army, Navy and Air Force M's, Hasselblads and Graflex's!

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), September 20, 2001.

FWIW I've also seen NASA tags and "Property of US Government" on a Rolleiflex and a long lens for Nikon RF w/reflex housing.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), September 21, 2001.

Speaking of NASA Leica M, here's an article about a NASA photographer and his Leica M3: http://www.chron.com/cgi- bin/auth/story.mpl/content/interactive/space/archives/96/113.nasa- pat.2-0.html.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), September 21, 2001.

¡Thank you very much! Kai, yes, I've been to that shop. As I said, I really don't want to buy it, but sometimes my curiosity knows no limits. Apparently the truth is rather simple.

For the Americans who responded, intelligence services would go to great lengths in Europe in order to hide what they were and what they were doing (and still do)--and whose headquarters are in Langley?

Well, for me, photography is a way of telling stories, and quite often an everyday object inspires me to invent a story around it, especially about the people that used it. I will keep the idea of a CIA-owned camera, used to document a clandestine research facility of the German Democratic Republic, 'appropriated' by a Staatssicherheit officer when the spy was discovered, then used by that officer, in mind: how that officer tried to get an LTM to M adaptor in East Berlin, to no avail; how he sent one of his spies into the west to get such an adapter; how he was arrested--and exchanged for the very agent that had brought the camera to East Germany... no I have something to do during the long winter evenings!

-- Oliver Schrinner (piraya@hispavista.com), September 21, 2001.

Langley Airforce Base and Langley Reaserch Center should not be confused with CIA headquarters in Langley Virginia. NASA is more concerned with scientific reaserch and is accessable for tours. Much international cooperation and sharing goes on there. Geographicaly these sites are some 300 kilometers apart.

Regards Steve

-- Steve Belden (otterpond@tds.net), September 21, 2001.

Steve, I was fully aware of the difference thanks to your first answer. Despite the distance, we Europeans are capable of understanding that there is some variety between Maine and California :-)

-- Oliver Schrinner (piraya@hispavista.com), September 22, 2001.