An Austrian photo gallery says a camera used by a photographer who documented the life of artist Pablo Picasso has sold for a world record price of $2.19 million.
The Westlicht gallery says the Leica m3d belonged to David Douglas Duncan. The 96-year-old former photographer for LIFE magazine was a close friend of Picasso and published hundreds of exclusive photos of him.
Manufactured in 1955, the camera is one of four ever made, and the price is a world record for a commercially produced camera.
In a statement today, Westlicht says the second-highest price in Saturday’s sale was for a gold-plated Leica made in 1929, which sold for $1.3 million.