Own a piece of history: Legendary photographer Mary Ellen Mark’s FM2 is for sale on eBay.
posted Thursday, November 12, 2015 at 4:18 PM EDT
Auction site eBay is home to both the mundane and magnificent; we'd put this item closer to the latter, for photo history buffs with healthy pocketbooks.
The Nikon FM2 was a truly legendary camera, renowned for its ruggedness and appreciated for its battery-less operation. In its heyday (1982-2001), it was the go-to body for many press photographers and other pros and hobbyists attracted to its tough build and reasonable cost, and served as a second body for many pros shooting a Nikon F-series as their main camera.
Legendary and incredibly prolific photojournalist, documentary, portrait and advertising photographer Mary Ellen Mark was a devoted FM2 user, and one of her famous FM2s is now available for sale on eBay, with half of the proceeds going to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
The bidding for her Nikon FM2 and 28mm f/2.8 lens is currently at $2,375 USD with the auction ending on Saturday, November 14th at 1:30 PM ET; jump on it if you'd like to own a historic camera previously used by a true giant of the photography world.
While there are numerous Nikon FM2 camera bodies for sale online, this one is particularly special because of who owned and used it. Her estate believes that this particular FM2 was used by Mary Ellen Mark for photo shoots for Day in the Life, People Magazine, and Life Magazine.
Mary Ellen Mark's illustrious career spanned over fifty years, and her work has graced the covers of such magazines as Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair, among others. Among her many achievements were three Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards and a 2014 Lifetime Achievement in Photography Award from the George Eastman House. Chances are you've seen her work at some point or other in your life.
Mary Ellen began taking photographs at the age of nine and continued to photograph right up until her death in May of this year. During her lifetime, she published a very impressive 18 photography books.
You can see photos from her final assignment, Picture This: New Orleans online, courtesy of CNN. It's an intimate view of the residents of New Orleans, a decade after Hurricane Katrina. She completed the assignment only a month before her death.
For a touching remembrance of Mary Ellen Mark, see this American Photo article.
(Seen via Popular Photography)