A vintage camera travels the world, bridging generations and forging friendships.

Shortly after my story, “Falling for Film,” was published in the fall 2018 issue of the University of Rhode Island Magazine, I got a message from Alex Larson ’77, a retired corporate economist who lives in Texas. He reached out because he had some enlarger lenses he wanted to donate to the Cage (the film photo lab in URI’s Fine Arts Center).

I told him that the Cage would be happy to accept any donations he had, and after some correspondence back and forth, he mentioned that he had a 1983 Leica R4s (a very nice camera) that he hadn’t used in years and asked if I would be interested in it. He had been traveling between Rhode Island and Texas, to visit his mother, and said that next time he was in Rhode Island, he would bring it with him.

In the meantime, I moved to Dublin, Ireland, to spend a year working and traveling before figuring out my future plans. So when Alex next came up to Rhode Island, I put him in touch with a good friend, and fellow photo nerd, Matthew Meigs ’20, who is a film and writing student at URI and works in the Cage.

They met for coffee, chatted for a few hours about all things photography, and Alex gave him the camera to use in the meantime. Ironically, shortly after receiving the camera, Matt took it with him on a road trip back to Texas to attend the SXSW Film Festival.

In May, I came home to Rhode Island for a visit. While home, I met up with Matt, got the camera (spent some time freaking out over how cool it was), and brought it back to Dublin with me.

Alex described the camera as a “no strings gift,” asking only to be updated from time to time on its travels. He told me he had traveled extensively with it over the years and was eager to have it passed on to someone who would continue its journey.

The life of this camera has been undoubtedly legendary, wandering across the country and abroad, capturing thousands of moments in time with each click of the shutter. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue its legacy of world travel, while also keeping the art of film photography alive. Thank you, Alex. The Leica and I will keep you posted on our travels.

—Kyla Duffy ’18