HISTORY OF THE SASKATOON CAMERA CLUB
Vern Sanders, Club Archivist. July 2006.
The organization meeting of the Saskatoon Camera Club took place on the evening of Wednesday, September 23, 1936 in the Board of Trade office, attended by thirty men and one woman. Mr. Austin M. McNair, an employee of the Star-Phoenix, acted as chairman, and was elected as the first president. Miss Helga Christensen became the secretary and Mr. E.L. Pendlebury was made treasurer. The entrance fee to join was set at $1.00, and the annual membership fee was also $1.00.
For the first few years meetings were held in Room 14 at Nutana Collegiate. Then, in 1939 the club rented permanent quarters, which included a darkroom, in the Ross Block on Third Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets. Membership grew steadily. In the 1938-39 season, there were 72 members, both men and women. In the early years a group of people, comprised of businessmen, professionals and educators, provided most of the club’s leadership and were its most active photographers. Most had been founding members in 1936. There was Leonard Shaw, Superintendent of City Hospital; Frank J. Wilson, a teacher at Nutana Collegiate; Percy Green, Manager of Western Drug Co;, John Webster, an architect; Ray Hume, a department manager at Pinder’s Drugs; E.L. Pendlebury, a commercial photographer; Dr.L.G. Saunders, a professor of biology; and C.J. L’Ami, F.E. Waite, and D.S.Rawson, all of whom were physicians.
In the latter years of the 1930s and the 1940s, the entire focus of photographic activities was the production, judging and display of black-and-white prints. Competitions were the order of the day, and judging standards were high. In the 1943-44 season, for example, there were eight regular monthly competitions, plus another eight “in-between” competitions. Prints were put on display in the Board of Trade Display Window at the Bessborough Hotel on a regular basis. Also, the club took part in “print exchanges” with clubs in other western cities, and members’ work was entered in various competitive “Salons of Photography” around the country.
Vern Sanders, Club Archivist. July 2006.
The organization meeting of the Saskatoon Camera Club took place on the evening of Wednesday, September 23, 1936 in the Board of Trade office, attended by thirty men and one woman. Mr. Austin M. McNair, an employee of the Star-Phoenix, acted as chairman, and was elected as the first president. Miss Helga Christensen became the secretary and Mr. E.L. Pendlebury was made treasurer. The entrance fee to join was set at $1.00, and the annual membership fee was also $1.00.
For the first few years meetings were held in Room 14 at Nutana Collegiate. Then, in 1939 the club rented permanent quarters, which included a darkroom, in the Ross Block on Third Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets. Membership grew steadily. In the 1938-39 season, there were 72 members, both men and women. In the early years a group of people, comprised of businessmen, professionals and educators, provided most of the club’s leadership and were its most active photographers. Most had been founding members in 1936. There was Leonard Shaw, Superintendent of City Hospital; Frank J. Wilson, a teacher at Nutana Collegiate; Percy Green, Manager of Western Drug Co;, John Webster, an architect; Ray Hume, a department manager at Pinder’s Drugs; E.L. Pendlebury, a commercial photographer; Dr.L.G. Saunders, a professor of biology; and C.J. L’Ami, F.E. Waite, and D.S.Rawson, all of whom were physicians.
In the latter years of the 1930s and the 1940s, the entire focus of photographic activities was the production, judging and display of black-and-white prints. Competitions were the order of the day, and judging standards were high. In the 1943-44 season, for example, there were eight regular monthly competitions, plus another eight “in-between” competitions. Prints were put on display in the Board of Trade Display Window at the Bessborough Hotel on a regular basis. Also, the club took part in “print exchanges” with clubs in other western cities, and members’ work was entered in various competitive “Salons of Photography” around the country.
The 1940s saw the arrival of color slide photography, and slides were used for shows at club meetings and color slide competitions were held occasionally, starting in 1941. But black-and-white work was still predominant. In 1944 the Camera Club joined with the Art Association and the Archaeology Society to form the Saskatoon Art Centre, which moved into quarters on the second floor of the Standard Trust Building. In 1948, a projector and screen were purchased to stimulate interest in color slide work This was so successful that a Color Slide Division was later formed in 1952. In the spring of 1949, the Art Centre was forced to temporarily disband for financial reasons. In the fall of that year it re-organized, and with the Camera Club still a member, it moved into the basement arcade in the King George Hotel.
During the 1950s and 1960s a new group of men and women came into the club. There was Lucy Young, Jim Hogg, Tinos Kortes, Walter Merchant, Sergey Federoff and Muriel Purdy who were all active in those years. Basic instruction classes, study groups, special interest groups, excursions to industrial establishments and outdoor field trips were all part of the club’s program at this time. The King George Hotel was ‘home’ until the end of March 1961, when the Centre was given notice to vacate. It moved to the nearby Hunt Building for the rest of that season. For the next two years the component organizations of the Art Centre went different ways, with the Camera Club locating in the Hunt Building, in Room 218 of the Medical Building at the University, and then at the J.S. Woods Library. In 1963-64, the members of the Art Centre re-united in temporary quarters in the Travellers Block Annex. Finally, in October, 1964 the Art Centre moved into the just-completed Mendel Art Gallery. A new era began for the Camera Club, which now had its own darkroom next door to its meeting place in the auditorium.
In the spring of 1970, the Camera Club took the initiative in organizing an annual competition among the camera clubs of Saskatchewan called the “Transparency Battle”. It was a great success and is still carried on. The clubs get together for an afternoon every spring and the A. Clare Hume Trophy is awarded to the club whose members have produced the best set of slides.
During the 1950s and 1960s a new group of men and women came into the club. There was Lucy Young, Jim Hogg, Tinos Kortes, Walter Merchant, Sergey Federoff and Muriel Purdy who were all active in those years. Basic instruction classes, study groups, special interest groups, excursions to industrial establishments and outdoor field trips were all part of the club’s program at this time. The King George Hotel was ‘home’ until the end of March 1961, when the Centre was given notice to vacate. It moved to the nearby Hunt Building for the rest of that season. For the next two years the component organizations of the Art Centre went different ways, with the Camera Club locating in the Hunt Building, in Room 218 of the Medical Building at the University, and then at the J.S. Woods Library. In 1963-64, the members of the Art Centre re-united in temporary quarters in the Travellers Block Annex. Finally, in October, 1964 the Art Centre moved into the just-completed Mendel Art Gallery. A new era began for the Camera Club, which now had its own darkroom next door to its meeting place in the auditorium.
In the spring of 1970, the Camera Club took the initiative in organizing an annual competition among the camera clubs of Saskatchewan called the “Transparency Battle”. It was a great success and is still carried on. The clubs get together for an afternoon every spring and the A. Clare Hume Trophy is awarded to the club whose members have produced the best set of slides.
For many years the Camera Club has published a newsletter to inform members about upcoming events, competition winners, etc. Starting in 1953, it consisted of two or three mimeographed pages, and was called “The Bulletin”. In 1973 a one-issue magazine called “The Viewfinder” was produced, containing articles written by club members. After this, “The Bulletin” was discontinued, and there was no newsletter until January, 1977, when Vern Sanders began editing and producing a magazine-style booklet, also called “The Viewfinder”. This continued to be published at regular intervals during the club season for several years. In the 1993-94 Season, it evolved into a single sheet newsletter.
In the 1970s, a young photographer-writer-teacher named Freeman Patterson from New Brunswick was gaining a reputation for himself as a lecturer and showman. In the spring of 1979, the Saskatoon Camera Club brought him to Saskatoon to present an all-day seminar for club members and the general public.
In 1982, Nan Archibald, an active club member, organized the Summer Fun Group for those members who wanted to enjoy outdoor photography on field trips to various locations around the city and the surrounding area. This program lasted for twelve years, but was eventually discontinued due to declining interest.
In June, 1986, the Camera Club lost its darkroom in the Mendel Gallery because the Gallery wanted the space for its own use. This was a disappointment, and a serious loss of much-needed storage space, but because of the decline in the popularity of black-and-white photography, did not cause lasting damage to the club’s ability to draw new members.
By the 1986-87 Season, an important milestone had been reached. The Camera Club had been in continuous operation for fifty years. To mark the occasion, it celebrated with a reunion of former members in the fall of 1986, and with another day-long Freeman Patterson in the spring of 1987.
In the 1970s, a young photographer-writer-teacher named Freeman Patterson from New Brunswick was gaining a reputation for himself as a lecturer and showman. In the spring of 1979, the Saskatoon Camera Club brought him to Saskatoon to present an all-day seminar for club members and the general public.
In 1982, Nan Archibald, an active club member, organized the Summer Fun Group for those members who wanted to enjoy outdoor photography on field trips to various locations around the city and the surrounding area. This program lasted for twelve years, but was eventually discontinued due to declining interest.
In June, 1986, the Camera Club lost its darkroom in the Mendel Gallery because the Gallery wanted the space for its own use. This was a disappointment, and a serious loss of much-needed storage space, but because of the decline in the popularity of black-and-white photography, did not cause lasting damage to the club’s ability to draw new members.
By the 1986-87 Season, an important milestone had been reached. The Camera Club had been in continuous operation for fifty years. To mark the occasion, it celebrated with a reunion of former members in the fall of 1986, and with another day-long Freeman Patterson in the spring of 1987.
A special fund was established during the 1987-88 Season, using profits derived from the 50th Anniversary celebrations. The sum involved was over $3000.00, and the membership decided that the money would be invested to provide an independent income to further the club’s growth and development. Registration as a charitable trust fund was not feasible because the Camera Club does not exist for exclusive charitable purposes. The fund was named “The Saskatoon Camera Club Trust Fund”. Further detailed information about its evolution can be found in the article “Saskatoon Camera Reserve Fund: A Brief History”.
In the early 1990s the program format which had developed over the years continued to draw photographers of all ages to the Camera Club. There were entertaining and instructive guest speakers, a succession of challenging clinics which enabled members to have their work critiqued by expert judges, and regular special events such as the Fall Field Trip, the Christmas Party and the Club Auction. The club’s season closed with the Year End Competitions and then the final Annual Awards Banquet in early May. Enthusiasm and participation were at a high level, and the club had a membership of 70–75 persons every year.
In the 1996-97 Season the Camera Club celebrated its 60th anniversary with a full season of special events and programs. Planning committees had been set up more than a year before, and by September, 1996, everything was ready. The first event in September was to have celebrated Saskatchewan photographer and writer, Courtney Milne, as guest speaker at a club meeting.
Every month during the Anniversary Season, a Mini-Raffle took place, with the winners receiving some item of photographic equipment. A 170-page 60th Anniversary Edition of “The Viewfinder” was published and sold to members and friends of the club for $12.00, and there was a special Year End Competition whose theme was “Remembering Our Roots”. The high point of the Anniversary was the teaching seminar hosted by Darwin Wiggett of Leduc, Alberta, which was held in March 1997 at the Kelsey Institute. The theme of his presentation was “How To Be An amazing Photographer and Have the Photographs To Prove It”. It drew a full house with many people coming from other towns and cities in the province.
In the early 1990s the program format which had developed over the years continued to draw photographers of all ages to the Camera Club. There were entertaining and instructive guest speakers, a succession of challenging clinics which enabled members to have their work critiqued by expert judges, and regular special events such as the Fall Field Trip, the Christmas Party and the Club Auction. The club’s season closed with the Year End Competitions and then the final Annual Awards Banquet in early May. Enthusiasm and participation were at a high level, and the club had a membership of 70–75 persons every year.
In the 1996-97 Season the Camera Club celebrated its 60th anniversary with a full season of special events and programs. Planning committees had been set up more than a year before, and by September, 1996, everything was ready. The first event in September was to have celebrated Saskatchewan photographer and writer, Courtney Milne, as guest speaker at a club meeting.
Every month during the Anniversary Season, a Mini-Raffle took place, with the winners receiving some item of photographic equipment. A 170-page 60th Anniversary Edition of “The Viewfinder” was published and sold to members and friends of the club for $12.00, and there was a special Year End Competition whose theme was “Remembering Our Roots”. The high point of the Anniversary was the teaching seminar hosted by Darwin Wiggett of Leduc, Alberta, which was held in March 1997 at the Kelsey Institute. The theme of his presentation was “How To Be An amazing Photographer and Have the Photographs To Prove It”. It drew a full house with many people coming from other towns and cities in the province.
The publicity surrounding our 60th Anniversary Year celebrations sparked an increased interest in the club and several new members joined the following year. In the 1997-98 Season the total membership reached 106 people, which was a thirteen percent increase over the previous year.
Early in 1999, the executive authorized the club archivist to set up a ‘Slide Bank’ as a means of retaining in the club’s archives some of the best work of our members. It was decided that the Slide of the Month and the Honorable Mention slides for all clinics would be duplicated for this file. And similarly, slide copies of the Print of the Month (both black-and-white and color) and the Honorable Mention prints would be made. Year End Competition first and second place winning slides and prints would also be duplicated and copied for the archives.
As the development and use of computers and the world wide internet increased in the late years of the 20th century, it became inevitable that the camera club should consider how these technological innovations could be utilized to benefit the camera club and the operation f its programs. Accordingly, in October, 2001, the executive voted to set up a club web site. Its purpose would be to advertise the club and at first would have only basic information, but would be enhanced later.
Ever since the 1961-62 Season, a Librarian/Archivist had been a member of the club’s executive. The main function of this office was to collect old photography magazines and re-sell them at club meetings, and also to take care of the small collection of photography books. The archives were generally neglected, and for many years consisted of only a few cardboard boxes containing the minutes of executive meetings, club calendars, a scrapbook and other assorted memorabilia. Then in the 1979-80 season the librarian/archivist at the time set about organizing and filing in binders the material which had survived.
In November, 2000, Courtney Milne donated 114 photography books from his personal library to the camera club, with the intention that they should become the nucleus of a lending library for club members. This posed a dilemma for us because we had no place to store then, and the Mendel Gallery was reluctant to provide additional storage space because they needed all the limited space for their own use. For about a year the executive discussed the problems of maintaining a lending library and felt that providing the necessary security for the collection, keeping records of borrowers, and the possible difficulty of getting books returned would require more work than we could handle. So in the fall of 2001 it was decided to permanently close down the club’s library and eliminate the executive position of Librarian, but retain the Archivist function of the office. Nearly all the books were sold at bargain prices at three club meetings in January, 2002, and the proceeds were turned over to the treasury.
The Summer Fun Group, which had been inactive for a few years was revived in the spring of 2001. It has been organizing summer photography excursions around the city ever since.
Early in the new century the club executive realized that a new era in photography had arrived and was making rapid advances against the traditional film photography. In order to keep abreast and be able to assist those members who were doing digital photography, the executive decided in March, 2002 to set up a small committee to research how other clubs with more expertise were handling the changes. The result was a research paper by Henry Schnell entitled “Review of the Digital Category”. It was presented to the executive and accepted in April, 2003.
Senior executive members did a great deal of preparatory work on the changes in the club’s Constitution and Supplemental Bylaws which would be necessary for the club to keep in step with the many members who were already working in digital photography.
In November 2004, a committee was set up to make preparations for the celebration of the club’s 70th Anniversary in the 2006-07 Season.
On March 15, 2005 a special meeting of the club membership accepted the changes to the Constitution and Bylaws which will make it possible to include digital photography categories in the clinics and competitions of the 2005-06 season and thereafter.
Early in 1999, the executive authorized the club archivist to set up a ‘Slide Bank’ as a means of retaining in the club’s archives some of the best work of our members. It was decided that the Slide of the Month and the Honorable Mention slides for all clinics would be duplicated for this file. And similarly, slide copies of the Print of the Month (both black-and-white and color) and the Honorable Mention prints would be made. Year End Competition first and second place winning slides and prints would also be duplicated and copied for the archives.
As the development and use of computers and the world wide internet increased in the late years of the 20th century, it became inevitable that the camera club should consider how these technological innovations could be utilized to benefit the camera club and the operation f its programs. Accordingly, in October, 2001, the executive voted to set up a club web site. Its purpose would be to advertise the club and at first would have only basic information, but would be enhanced later.
Ever since the 1961-62 Season, a Librarian/Archivist had been a member of the club’s executive. The main function of this office was to collect old photography magazines and re-sell them at club meetings, and also to take care of the small collection of photography books. The archives were generally neglected, and for many years consisted of only a few cardboard boxes containing the minutes of executive meetings, club calendars, a scrapbook and other assorted memorabilia. Then in the 1979-80 season the librarian/archivist at the time set about organizing and filing in binders the material which had survived.
In November, 2000, Courtney Milne donated 114 photography books from his personal library to the camera club, with the intention that they should become the nucleus of a lending library for club members. This posed a dilemma for us because we had no place to store then, and the Mendel Gallery was reluctant to provide additional storage space because they needed all the limited space for their own use. For about a year the executive discussed the problems of maintaining a lending library and felt that providing the necessary security for the collection, keeping records of borrowers, and the possible difficulty of getting books returned would require more work than we could handle. So in the fall of 2001 it was decided to permanently close down the club’s library and eliminate the executive position of Librarian, but retain the Archivist function of the office. Nearly all the books were sold at bargain prices at three club meetings in January, 2002, and the proceeds were turned over to the treasury.
The Summer Fun Group, which had been inactive for a few years was revived in the spring of 2001. It has been organizing summer photography excursions around the city ever since.
Early in the new century the club executive realized that a new era in photography had arrived and was making rapid advances against the traditional film photography. In order to keep abreast and be able to assist those members who were doing digital photography, the executive decided in March, 2002 to set up a small committee to research how other clubs with more expertise were handling the changes. The result was a research paper by Henry Schnell entitled “Review of the Digital Category”. It was presented to the executive and accepted in April, 2003.
Senior executive members did a great deal of preparatory work on the changes in the club’s Constitution and Supplemental Bylaws which would be necessary for the club to keep in step with the many members who were already working in digital photography.
In November 2004, a committee was set up to make preparations for the celebration of the club’s 70th Anniversary in the 2006-07 Season.
On March 15, 2005 a special meeting of the club membership accepted the changes to the Constitution and Bylaws which will make it possible to include digital photography categories in the clinics and competitions of the 2005-06 season and thereafter.
Starting in September, 2005, the club executive was enlarged to include the new positions of Digital Print Chair – General, Digital Print Chair – Nature, and Webmaster. There will now be two clinic categories: film and digital. Thus, we have adjusted our programs to have a workable blend of the old and new technologies. However, at the end of the 2005-06 season, it was found that the number of digital prints entered in clinics far exceeded those produced from film. The club has not yet purchased a digital projector, but plans to do so when there is sufficient demand.
Preparations are almost complete for the celebration of the club’s 70th Anniversary in the 2006-07 Season. Many events are planned, starting with the Courtney Milne Workshop on Saturday, September 23rd The theme of his presentation will be “Seeing With New Eyes”.
The Mendel Gallery is planning to enlarge and extensively renovate the building sometime in the near future, depending on when financing arrangements are complete. This means that the Camera Club will have to find an alternative location to hold its meetings and to store its equipment during the construction period. Despite the uncertainty and inconveniences involved for the club, the executive and membership are confident that we will surmount all these problems and continue to flourish for many active and productive years to come.
Preparations are almost complete for the celebration of the club’s 70th Anniversary in the 2006-07 Season. Many events are planned, starting with the Courtney Milne Workshop on Saturday, September 23rd The theme of his presentation will be “Seeing With New Eyes”.
The Mendel Gallery is planning to enlarge and extensively renovate the building sometime in the near future, depending on when financing arrangements are complete. This means that the Camera Club will have to find an alternative location to hold its meetings and to store its equipment during the construction period. Despite the uncertainty and inconveniences involved for the club, the executive and membership are confident that we will surmount all these problems and continue to flourish for many active and productive years to come.
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