Ilse Bing: Queen of the Leica

The first professional to wholeheartedly adopt this 35mm single-lens camera, Bing was soon dubbed by a critic as the “Queen of the Leica” for the inventiveness and originality she brought to this innovative technology.

Bing, who was born and raised in Germany, developed a successful career in Paris in the 1930s as an avant-garde and fashion photographer. Daringly surreal even in her commercial work, she brought a fresh approach to fashion in assignments for Harper’s Bazaar and designers like Elsa Schiaparelli. For other magazines, Bing captured the nightlife, amusements, and unique character of her adopted city, producing images that crossed the boundary between commerce and art. Her photographs were included in exhibitions at the Louvre and New York’s Museum of Modern Art.