b"4The photo, circa 1975, shows Alan Michael surrounded by his sons, Rob and Tony (back), Peter (front) and Alan's wife, Tess.The Evolution of the MuseumMost Melbourne residents or visitors to the CBD wouldAt around this time an architect and die-hard Leica collector be familiar with Michaels Cameras. The Michaels familyapproached my father, as he wanted to sell his extensive has conducted business on the corner of Elizabeth &Leica collection. My father bought the collection which Lonsdale Streets in downtown Melbourne since 1916.became the foundation of the world class Leica collection My great-grandfather Emanuel, started business thereyou will find in the following pages of this catalogue. The as a pawn broker and gunsmith in those distant earlycollection continued to grow and eventually we had more years. My grandfather, Harold, evolved the business intothan 3,000 items on display in a superb museum space a chemist which also sold photographic equipment. Increated for the purpose. A visit was always free, and over 1976, my father Alan took the bold decision to removethe years we hosted many thousands of enthusiasts who the chemist which had been there for 50 years and focusvisited from interstate and overseas, as well as many on the camera business. The camera and film processingmembers of local historical societies and museum curators.part of the business eventually became the predominantThe quality of the cameras and other equipment that went activity, and it is that business that became a destinationon display was always the best example of an item we for photographers, professional and amateur, for more thancould find. Over the years of trading in these collectable nine decades. cameras, whenever one came in that we already had in In the late 1970s, nearly 50 years ago, my father, Alan,the museum, we would compare them, keep the better and my brother, Tony, realised that Michaels was takingexample, and dispose of the other. At its peak, a few as trade-ins, many unusual and interesting camerasyears ago, the museum became the largest private camera that people wanted to exchange for newer or moremuseum in the world. There are no duplicates in the sophisticated photographic equipment. Although delightedcollection, every camera has its differences. Sometimes to facilitate the growth of the business in this way, itthese differences are very small, for example, one may quickly became clear to them that their cupboards andhave a distance scale in metres and the other in feet.shelves were becoming a repository of photographicHaving decided to cease trading, we have been assisted history, a history which was not being adequatelyand directed in the decisions to do with the collection, preserved in Australia, a challenge they were uniquely inby Charles Leski and his staff. There is no doubt that the a position to address. Alan and Tony made the consciouscontent of the museum is the most important legacy of decision to conserve, display and actively expand theMichaels, so the planned series of auction catalogues evolving collection, which meant not just relying onwill provide a permanent record of all the items in the trade-ins, but also attending auctions, swap meets andcollection at the time we closed. I am delighted to see so buying from private collections that offered unique ormany beautiful camerasincluding some of my personal unusual additions to what they had already accumulated.favouritespresented in this first auction.The evolution of photography as reflected in these little masterpieces of design and construction was theirTogether with the rest of my family, I thank you for inspiration and, within a few years, the collection hadyour interest in our collection and I hope you are able to increased to the point where housing it and displaying itacquire something that gives you as much pleasure as it became a real challenge. has given us.Peter Michael"