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.