James L. Lager, nationally recognized expert on the Leica cameras and systems, will speak from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at the Miami University Art Museum, sharing personal stories about his relationship with Charles M. Messer and the advisory role he played in assisting him with his collection of Leica cameras.

The Charles M. Messer Leica Collection is the largest privately assembled camera collection in the United States, part of which will be on display at the museum.

For generations of photographers, including Man Ray, Imogen Cunningham, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Alfred Eisenstaedt, the Leica was the camera of choice.

Between 1970 and ‘78, Cincinnati construction business owner Charles M. Messer donated his personal collection of Leica brand cameras to the Miami University Art Museum. Messer compiled one of the largest and most complete collections of Leica brand cameras in the world with more than 1,200 objects, including vintage and commemorative models, lenses, filters, flashes, winders and more.

The installation of the Leica Gallery will feature more than 125 pieces of the Messer Collection and illuminates the evolution of the oldest continuously manufactured brand of cameras in the world.

The exhibition follows an in-depth documentation of the collection through research and digital photographic cataloguing. Using a touch-screen computer application, visitors will have the opportunity to further explore the complete collection.

In addition to the Leica Gallery, selections from the Art Museum’s 200-plus photograph collection also will be on view. The Art Museum’s collection includes the works of Philippe Halsman, Margaret Bourke-White, George Richmond Hoxie, Berenice Abbott, Judy Dater, Mario Algaze, Cindy Sherman and Aaron Siskind.