Croydon Camera Club
Croydon Camera Club

Croydon Camera Club History: 1890-2000

Years 1974-1975
Print Critiques limited to 1 minute

The continued small number of prints on lack of support on Print Critique evenings resulted in too many visiting judges spinning out their comments to the point of tedium especially when presented with a bad or controversial print. The Club agreed that one minute per print was enough, the time to be signified by a bell. When all prints had been seen for an equal time any controversial ones could be expanded on at the end. Needless to say, the "word" got around amongst judges and we never had to apply the rules except to our own members! A Judge and lecturer for whom no censure was ever necessary was Walter Marynowicz FIIP FRPS, who visited on 3rd April 1974.

The Annual Exhibition on 16th September 1974 was judged by Ainslie Ellis who refused to place prints in order of merit so no trophies could be awarded! There was considerable doubt expressed whether Mr Ellis had been informed of the Club Exhibition rules before being invited to be Exhibition Judge.

Sir George Pollock resigned from Chairman of the Photeurop Committee dealing with Photeurop and Stuart Harper took over.

Cost Cutting

1975 did not start well with the Club intention of supporting the Central Association Annual Exhibition falling below expectations. The Club nomination of Stuart Pickford for the CA Executive was submitted after the closing date and therefore not accepted. The financial state of the Club remained precarious despite the £l increased sub in 1974 and a further increase was proposed on a declining membership which now stood at 74 and reduced each time there was a change of meeting place. To contain running costs the syllabus was to be altered to a three fold card and the inclusion of the list of members' names and addresses was to be omitted. The Club Bulletin was to be run quarterly only.

14th Photeurop Opens at Croydon

The opening of the 14th Photeurop Exhibition on 13th January at the Arnhem Gallery was badly organised with inadequate seating for VIPs, no introductory speeches, insufficient attention paid by officers to protocol particularly as relating to the Mayor and visiting diplomats. The shambles reflected the inexperience of the Club officials in dealing with such a prestigious occasion.

Presidential Elections

Things were no better in the run-up to the AGM when Council discussed (as its custom) who it would recommend for the next President. Miss O'Sullivan who joined on 6th October 1964 and had been Secretary 1967-69 and again 1972-73 was considered and Council decided to put Hannah's name before the AGM as the second Lady President.

However this was not to be for the President of the AGM on 28th May 1975, Alan Richards, allowed the name of Stuart Harper to be accepted from the floor in a contested election which Mr Harper succeeded. The consequence was that Council accepted a censure from Stuart Pickford that the AGM did not meet the standards of fairness and equity reasonably required and in addition there was no Agenda for the meeting, no attendance list and no audited accounts presented. Nevertheless Mr Harper remained President - a position he resigned from after one year suggesting that his was not an enthusiastic occupancy of such a prestigious seat, at one time held by a single person (John Keane) for almost 22 years.

The new officers including Secretary Dr. Lewis, found that the Club Exhibition had not been booked at the Arnhem Gallery, Fairfield Halls, as anticipated, so the Exhibition had to be held later - 19-31st January 1976. The Winter Syllabus had not been completed; and only a sponsored "slim" by Miss 0' Sullivan which raised £30 saved finances from showing a deficit.