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
At the end of the year no other Club had approached Croydon to undertake the presentation of Photeurop in the UK, and the Club made enquiries of the other two European Clubs of their intentions, which enquiries were unanswered. By May 1980 the Club made the assumption that Photeurop was effectively dead.
This was the right decision as financially costs were likely to have been crippling as in April 1979 when the display was opened at the Kodak Gallery in Holborn only 10% of catalogues were sold at 50p against a charge needed of £1.50. When the price was dropped to 2Op, 143 were sold.
With the demise of Photeurop, members felt able to devote more interest to the Club though even with membership over 70 there was a noticeable lack of submission of work for CA and SLF events. Also the submission of work for Club Competitions was causing difficulties on hand-in evenings and attempts were made to get work submitted one week in advance but failed due to non-cooperation from members.
The Winter Syllabus was criticised by the Secretary on its size and Hannah O'Sullivan let it be known she would not stand as Syllabus Secretary in 1980.
Council had decided on 13th December 1979 that the two projectors were running too hot and were to be sold before damaging any more slides. By February 1980 they were sold for £30 each and it was agreed to take £40 from Club funds and to set aside £100 for a new projector. By 10th June the desired model, a Pradovit Club 1500 with 150mm lens was purchased for £305. Funds were to be raised by members selling their photographs in the "gallery" on railings in Bayswater Road. There was an objection to this on the narrow partisan ground that Print Workers were giving their time to the benefit of Slide Workers who themselves should undertake fund raising! But in the best of Club traditions nothing came of this as by the agreed date of 7th September for prints to be available for sale, none were and the matter died through apathy.
Although H. Cundell was re-elected President there was a new Treasurer Roy King, who was to hold the post for five years and bring much needed stability to the financial state of the Club. He made his first task the raising of the subscription to £7 at the AGM on 28th May 1980. Harold Stillwell justly deserved his election of Honorary Life Member.
Brian Moore who joined the Club on 8th November 1979 volunteered his services as Syllabus Secretary so the management seemed in secure hands. But the dissatisfaction with The Studio continued with members having to wait outside the premises or in the porch till the dancers had changed. This meant a late start to the proceedings causing discontent such that accommodation was looked at the Friends' Meeting House in Park Lane. Room and use of Kitchen £7 per night. 60 seating and available 7.30 till 10pm sharp and no smoking! The Club moved there on 7th October 1981.