A rare, vintage Leica II gold camera, made in Germany in 1936, has been used to bring to life the cultural activities of the 39^th Sharjah International Book Fair.

To document one of the top three book fairs in the world, Jordanian photojournalist Nader Al Dawood relied on his 84-year-old camera that belongs to the first generation of single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras.

With a metal gilded frame covered with leather, his camera is one of only 1,110 pieces, of which only 30 feature the gold finish. Al Dawood explained that he chose to use this camera with its classic 135mm films to take images of SIBF 2020 as he wanted to capture the exceptional cultural event through a unique lens that has stood the test of time.

Following the traditional process of preparing and developing the film, the outcome from a Leica II is outstanding; the perfect choice to portray the vibrant energy of the Sharjah International Book Fair, he said.

Al Dawood emphasised that as a visitor to the fair, capturing the entirety of the experience would attract the young generation to explore the prestigious event as well preserve and promote its unique status in the region and around the world.