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
An SLF competition on 9th November between Mitcham (61) and Croydon (85) convinced Croydon of the superior merits of its lantern slides over the transparencies entered by Mitcham: but such attitudes were not to prevail and now the lantern slide is as rare as an unspotted print! Yet in those far off days we could still hold an "Annual Lantern Slide 11 evening on 30th November which showed that slide making was far from a dying art.
In early December the Club resolved that the proposed increase in SLF subscription from 7/6d should only be supported to a maximum of 10/- and if the subscription was increased to above that figure the Club would withdraw from the Federation. At a meeting on 13th February 1950, the SLF by a vote of seven to one (Croydon) determined the subscription at 12/6d per annum and notice was therefore given that Croydon, a founder member since 23rd January 1947 would withdraw with effect from 31st May 1950. So began the yo-yo of Croydon being in and out of the SLF for the ensuing years and up to the present time.
During the summer and winter the studios of H. G. Dorrett had been the object of visits by members and Miss Nettie Moon had given much tuition on portraiture at the Club. On 21st December she brought along a lady model and a large number of exposures were made and "in spite of various exposure meters being used no two members could agree on what was the correct exposure".
At the beginning of 1950 Kodak Ltd sent us Mr C. L. Clarke again with "Confessions" after which "question time drew a blank - a unique situation at Croydon for Mr Clarke had criticised his slides so severely that even the most critical members were unable to add anything".
Croydon Education Officer invited the Club to participate in a Leisure Exhibition to be held in March 1950. This invitation was accepted but when further particulars were received, the Education Department had decided the Exhibition costs should be born by the Societies taking part at a charge of about £10. Croydon withdrew and later the Exhibition was abandoned through lack of support. Small wonder at an invitation like that!
The monthly print critique on 1st March had a table top scene which included a tree "purchased from the local dustman for one shilling - it was remarked that it would have been dear at half the price", but the judge, H. G Trodd ARPS, thought the "extravagance had been justified".
Croydon (80 points) beat South London PS (73) in the SLF competition on 8th March, and West Wickham PS on 10th May with 76 points to 72. During the commentary by L. B. Fleming it was apparent that if all the trimming recommended to one controversial print were put into effect the result would be its complete elimination. Perhaps the judge had that in mind...
I.D. Wratten FRPS a Vice President of the Club and a Director of Kodak Ltd gave a talk on the history of 16mm cine film from its introduction in 1923 to the present time.
17th May had an evening with members giving individual lecturettes and the AGM on 31st May was not the happy event it should have been for our 60th year.