Newsletter March 2026

Dear members,

The March issue of Club Daguerre aktuell is online. This article is the central introduction to our March newsletter - all articles in this issue can be accessed directly via the following headings.
For our international members: An English version of this newsletter is available here:
👉 https://aktuell.club-daguerre.de (click the 🇬🇧 flag in the header)

Editorial March 2026 - Spring light and movement at the club
March brings more light, longer days and, for many of us, the desire to get out and about with our eyes open and a camera. In the editorial, Klaus Herrmann writes about the new Photo Antiquaria 167, which is being published just in time for Easter, the successful first virtual members' get-together and the expansion of our "Collector's Knowledge Compact" web section to include the new introduction to lens diagnosis.

Photo Antiquaria No. 167 - A preview of the new issue
The new Photo Antiquaria will be published just in time for Easter and once again offers an eclectic mix of photographic history, technology, collecting practice and current information from the club. Topics range from portrait photography and contemporary history to lens science and the 2026 annual meeting in Mannheim. The new issue is also accompanied by our audio podcast: "Stasi photos and the Leica millions".

New in "Collector's knowledge compact": Recognising, understanding and assessing lens defects
Fungus, lens clouding, putty faults, oily aperture blades, scratches, traces of cleaning or dust in the lens - almost every collector of classic cameras and lenses has encountered such defects. Our new introduction to lens diagnostics explains typical faults in historical lenses in a clear, practical and reliable manner. The texts are published with the kind permission of Pekka Buttler / JAPB.net, have been translated into German by Club Daguerre and have been professionally checked. A summarising article on the topic will also appear in PA 167.

Successful start: Our first virtual members' get-together
Our first virtual members' get-together took place on 7 March 2026 - with 18 participants and an exciting presentation by Harald Lammert on Vredeborch. The lively discussion and lots of positive feedback showed that this new format has been well received. There were some minor technical and organisational shortcomings, but we learn from such experiences. The club would therefore like to continue the format - we are currently thinking of a meeting every three months or so.

Website of the month: Pacific Rim Camera
What at first glance appears to be an American dealer in historical cameras turns out on closer inspection to be a remarkable treasure trove for collectors and photo historians. Of particular interest are the freely accessible Reference Library with brochures, manuals and historical printed matter as well as the Photographica Pages with detailed information on individual cameras, manufacturers and variants. The extensive collection of journals of the Nikon Historical Society is also a special treasure.

Invitation to the opening of the Hirsmüller Photo Museum
The Hirsmüller Photo Museum in Emmendingen near Freiburg is well worth a visit, not only for its impressive collection, but also for the opening of the Neue Galerie - Sammlung Ziefle - Werkschau Hirsmüller on Sunday, 29 March at 11:15 a.m.

Events April / May 2026
In the coming weeks, there will again be numerous events for friends of historical photography and classic cameras: including our workshop "A weekend as a 19th century photographer", photo fairs in Germany, France and Switzerland, auctions at Auction Team Breker, Leitz, OstLicht and WestLicht as well as several exhibitions with photo-historical references.

👉 To all articles and the archive: https: //aktuell.club-daguerre.de

Enjoy reading.

With best regards

Klaus Herrmann
Chairman of the Club Daguerre e.V.