1982: LOMO PLC completes the first working sample of the LOMO LC-A in St. Petersburg, the former USSR.
The whole Lomographic phenomenon began on a sunny St. Petersburg morning back in 1982. Two gentlemen examined a rather nifty little Japanese compact camera called the Cosina CX-1 and gave orders that an improved copy should be produced on mass for the Soviet people’s snapshooting pleasure.
The Lomo LC-A was, in truth, a real (and rather cheeky) copy of the Cosina. It was the greater potential of its sharp glass lens, extremely high light sensitivity and robust casing that impressed the USSR Minister of Defence and the Director of the LOMO Factory. Hence with some tweaking here and there – the LOMO LC-A was born.