Croydon Camera Club History: 1890-2000
Preface Introduction The Club Foundation 1809 Soiree 1899 Movies Member Prestige Council Meetings 1903 Founding President Mees Years 1904-12 The Great War Between The Wars Recorded Years Riots! Police! 1931 Edridge Road, 1932 1932 Nudes Ladies and Exhibitions Club Room eviction The Studio: 1933 Cine! Ladies! 1934 Highs and Lows, 1936 A/V, Stag Party, 1937 Freemasonry 1938 Baird Television 1938 War! 1940: Bombed ! Annual Report 1940-41 Making Do 1941 War Ends 1942-5 A War Retrospective Ladies? 1946 Ladies Admitted 1947-8 35mm Slides arrive Struggling 1949 SLF Out! 1949-50 Troubled 1950 Outings 1951 Winter Season 1951 Celebrations Mees Visits Croydon 1955 1956 Nonexistence 1957 1958-1959 1960 More Success 1961 The Darkroom 1961 Frivolity 1962 All Change 1963 1965-1967 Exhibitions 1967 Photeurop 1968 Photeurop 1969 Years 1970-1972 Terra Nova Years 1973 Years 1974-1975 19 Selsdon Road Years 1977-1979 Changes 1980 Friends Meeting House Close the Club 1983 Progress? 1984 Turnaround? 1985 Years 1987-1988 Slow Revival 1989 About Club Outings The Helpers Postscript
The first Lady member then proposed was the wife of the Honorary Secretary and by unanimous vote Mrs A. E. Witty was accorded that honour. The first meeting of the Winter Session on 9th October was addressed by F. J. Tritton FRPS, President of the Royal Photographic Society and at the end of the month on 30th October Percy W. Harris FRPS drew a packed audience for "Magic of Colour". He was to judge the Annual Exhibition (19th October - 2nd November) at which N. Gryspeerdt was awarded a silver cup. On 9th October H. G. Dorrett and Miss Nettie Moon were admitted as members. Mr Dorrett had a studio and business in Mitcham specialising in the production of still photographs for cine work and Miss Moon (to be elected on Council at the 1947 AGM) was a technical assistant.
As could be expected this period in the Club history was one of considerable change of personnel after the stability of the previous decade and the Club records were not as meticulously kept as in the past and the dates of membership were not always recorded.
Council felt that The Studio was not the best place to accommodate the large numbers now attending and on 28th November resolved to seek alternative accommodation. It was also agreed that when members awarded marks at a Print Analysis they should give up to five points for composition; five for technique and five for presentation. So you now know how it was done at Croydon.
E. Heimann paid a return visit to interest the Club in table top photography on 11th December and 8th January Ilford sent R. R. Hawkins to talk about "Plastika", whilst at the end of the month L. S. Erridge gave a cine show including "Home Guard Activities". The following meeting was cancelled due to bad weather and those who lived through the winter of 1947 will know just how bad the snow was. A photograph of the members in The Studio on 12th February 1947 shows all sitting in overcoats, the Ladies with hats on as protection against the cold.
This did not prevent a meeting being held at The Studio on 23rd January 1948 which gave birth to the Federation of South London Photographic Societies (known as the SLF) with Croydon CC and seven other clubs as founding members. Whilst ever willing to promote photographic endeavours Croydon reserved itself the right to have it done its way, or not to participate, and the promotion by the SLF of knock-out competitions was to result in Croydon leaving and then re-joining the Federation at regular intervals up to the present time.
Council reported it had had no success in finding alternative premises whereupon "Spacky" gave notice of putting the rent up from 16/- to 20/- per week!
Miss Moon gave her first lecture to the Club on 19th February "Printing and Enlarging" and on 26th February L. V. Chilton MA FRPS anticipated the future with a talk "Towards Atomic Portraiture".