Kodak Tower a landmark in the Rochester Skyline, and an icon in the world of film photography. The building has also been called the "nerve center of photography". The skyscraper is owned by the Eastman Kodak Company, and remains the headquarters of the company. In 2008, Kodak undertook work to repair and restore the exterior of the building. The Kodak Tower was constructed on the site of a former factory next to several seven story Camera Works buildings that clustered around the site. Construction began in 1912 and was completed in 1914 with Kodak founder George Eastman presiding over the project. Upon
135 film popularity, as well as the entire company legacy, early Leica cameras are considered as highly collectible items these days. The original Leica prototype holds the record as being the world's most expensive camera, selling for €2.16 million in 2012. In the earliest days, the photographer had to load the film into reusable cassettes and, at least for some cameras, cut the film leader. In 1934, Kodak introduced a "135" daylight-loading single-use cassette. This cassette was engineered so that it could be used in both Leica and Zeiss Ikon Contax cameras along with the camera for which it was invented, namely