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
Although the Dark Room premises were being well used, considerable problems were being encountered with the landlord who in carrying out alterations elsewhere in the building had caused the Dark Room to be flooded. When these problems had been resolved, the electricity was cut off. These factors of unreliability and uncertainty led to the income barely covering running costs and on 28 August 1963 the Dark Room was closed, since which time the Club has been without such facilities.
At a meeting on 30th November 1961 S. G. Pickford proposed that as Print Battles were not supported by members offering work or presence, they should be cancelled and no more arranged. The proposal was defeated but the problem of lack of support was never overcome and exists to this very day.
Mr Pickford asked for volunteers to meet lecturers before a meeting but there was no response. The lack of enthusiasm prompted the President to complain of the poor support for the Monthly Print Competitions with as few as four prints in the Intermediate Section - and this from a Club with over 170 members.