THE PICTORIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS OF AMERICA
Some five years ago a small group of photographers in New York City and vicinity formed a nucleus for the institution of a society. Its name was ambitious—The Pictorial Photographers of America; its aims and objects sounded visionary, almost fantastic. Already many times printed, they bear repetition and have been incorporated in a separate page in this book. In one sense these aims were visionary, because they were thought out and formulated by men of vision, who now stand justified: in hardly one of these directions have we failed to make important advance and in many we have pushed far. But we do not rest upon what we have done; in none of these pursuits can we pause and say “It is accomplished”; much remains to be achieved in every line; new activities constantly present themselves; and the maintenance of each of our undertakings implies continuance of effort nearly as strenuous as that of its initiative.
In the Art Center, from its inception as a mere idea, the Pictorial Photographers of America have been active. This Institution, enthusiastically planned and rapidly carried forward, has been since November, 1921, an accomplished fact. It is devoted to the development and association of various Arts and Crafts, to interesting the public therein and, particularly, to bringing producer and user together. It is compounded of the seven following Societies, to wit: Art Alliance of America, Art Directors Club, American Institute of Graphic Arts, New York Society of Craftsmen, Society of Illustrators, the Stowaways and the Pictorial Photographers of America, which together own a fine, large, centrally situated building, completely remodeled for their occupation and divided into galleries, meeting rooms and executive offices. The Pictorial Photographers, besides holding their general meetings in one of the larger rooms and sharing the lounge for social purposes, have now their own room (with attendance) which, accessible day and evening, will be a meeting place for our members, resident and non-resident, and a center from which we may get into touch with one another; a place for the continuous exhibition of prints upon the walls and in portfolios, where art lovers, buyers and advertisers can see and, if they wish, arrange to buy our work or come into communication with our workers; a reading room supplied with recent photographic magazines and literature; and a publicity bureau with a bulletin board displaying announcements of current and future local and national photographic events.
The usual series of monthly meetings has been held throughout the past season, with a larger attendance than heretofore. Our first meeting was the usual informal “get-together” dinner. Our second took place in the opening week of the Art Center: we held an informal reception during the afternoon and in the evening gave a large dinner to our members and friends. Mrs. Ripley Hitchcock was our guest of honor. Our general meeting followed, at which [pg 96] Mr. Ben J. Lubschez addressed a large audience upon the “Story of the Motion Picture,” followed by Mr. Herbert J. Seligman upon “Cinema Plastik.” At our succeeding meetings we have had the pleasure of listening to Mr. William H. Zerbe, Mr. Richard M. Coit, Mr. Ira W. Martin, Mr. Pirie MacDonald, Mr. Edward Penfield, Mr. Fred Dana Marsh and Mr. Alexander P. Milne. Interest in the monthly print contests held at these meetings has been maintained and the value of the feature demonstrated by the gain in number and quality of the entries. We hope during the succeeding year to keep the monthly prints upon exhibition until the following meeting, believing that this measure will both stimulate those who show and benefit those who look.
As a part of the general exhibition of all the conjoined Societies throughout the opening month of the Art Center (November, 1921) we presented a collection of one hundred and sixty-two prints from our own membership, filling one of the large galleries upon the ground floor. This Exhibition, representing all parts of the country, was exceedingly well received and, under the charge of the American Federation of Arts, was afterwards shown in Corvallis, Oregon; Emporia, Kansas; College Station, Texas; and Greeley, Colorado.
During the past summer we have shown at the Art Center a collection of fifty prints from the Copenhagen Photographic Amateur Club. We have thus enjoyed the double privilege of in some measure returning the courtesy of the Copenhagen Club, who invited us to cooperate in their Twenty-fifth Anniversary Exhibition, and of seeing and showing representative and distinguished work from the members of this Club.
A periodical Bulletin of the meetings, activities and news of the Society, long contemplated, has been established, which through the ensuing year we expect to issue monthly in the shape of an eight-page miniature magazine. The Art Center has also undertaken the issue of a monthly Bulletin of the conjoined Societies, in which we shall have our proportionate share.
In conjunction with the Shadowland Magazine we have begun a series of monthly print contests, in which the magazine offers to the winners not only valuable prizes but expert reproduction and wide publicity. Though not many months in operation, entries and awards have been encouraging and interest has been aroused abroad, even so far as China, as well as at home.
We have become affiliated with The Club Photographer of Great Britain, contributing the articles and illustrations of the issue for April, 1922, and have been invited to supply such material in the future for one number per year.
It is interesting to note that, besides satisfactory sales at home, we received from Japan two large orders for Pictorial Photography in America for 1921.
Our year has been shadowed by the death of Edward R. Dickson, one of the Society's most enthusiastic founders and active promoters. We can do no better than to quote the brief memorial account of his life, written at the time of his death by a few of his intimate friends.
“On March 5, 1922, occurred the untimely death of Edward R. Dickson, one of the most eager and gifted workers in the group of men and women devoting themselves to pictorial photography. He was born in Quito, Ecuador, forty-two years ago. According to the custom in Ecuador, he, as the eldest son, was sent abroad, to London, to finish his education. He returned home only to find that he had outgrown the thought and customs of his country. He therefore returned to England, and later, in 1903, came to New York. Here he joined the staff of the Marine Engine Corporation, later merged with the Otis Elevator Company. His chief interest, however, was not in engineering but in art. He was a friend and pupil of Clarence H. White, and for many [pg 97] years devoted every moment of his spare time to artistic creation. In 1917 he cut loose from his his business moorings and embarked on the great adventure of his life. Henceforth until his death he devoted himself wholly to creative work in photography.
“The later years of his life were spent in that part of Manhattan, beyond Dyckman Street, known as Inwood. That section of the Island he very much loved, and many of his pictures were taken in or around those wooded heights overlooking Spuyten Duyvil. These pictures include a series of illustrations to Stephen Phillips' poem, ‘Marpessa.’
“It was in October, 1913, that Mr. Dickson published the first number of Platinum Print, ‘a journal of personal expression.’ Between that date and October, 1917, eleven numbers of this remarkable magazine were published, the last two under the title of Photo-Graphic Art.
“He was one of the founders in 1916 of the Pictorial Photographers of America and was secretary to that organization until 1920. In 1921 he completed the editing of the ‘Poems of the Dance,’ an anthology illustrated by his own photographs, which was published in the same year. At the time of his death he was at work on other projects, which would have been genuine contributions.
We have also been saddened by the death of Richard H. Rice, which occurred last February and cost the country one of its wisest industrial leaders. Becoming manager of the Lynn Works of the General Electric Company during a great strike, he had made them famous for productive cooperation. His methods have been generally copied; and the confidence and support of his twelve thousand workmen and women were due to his devotion and his inviolable sense of justice.
Photography was his refuge from pressing affairs. With the engineer's skill and interest in processes and a keen love of natural beauty, he produced during his last decade half a hundred landscape studies of a reticent and enduring beauty. The scant leisure of his last winter had been spent in preparing these for exhibition, and they remain as a characteristic memorial to an unusual personality.
In this book, our third Pictorial Annual, we offer the choice of our Jury from nearly a thousand prints, selected without regard to membership in the organization and solely with the intention of exhibiting the best that America can produce. We are grateful to all who have contributed, whether successfully or not, for their encouragement and support, often by letter as well as by entries; to the Jury of Selection for their careful, painstaking judgment; to our Committee on Publication for its detailed and arduous work; to our engravers and printers for their preparation and presentation of our material; to all, in fact, who have cooperated in making Pictorial Photography in America for 1922 a good record of current American Photographic Art.
Amasa Day Chaffee, President.
The Art Center
Sixty-five East Fifty-sixth Street,
New York City.
