The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-07
THE CAMERA CLUBS WORK.
Is Becoming One of savannah,s In.
situations.

situations.
One of the comparatively new institu.
tons of Savannah is the Camera Club.
Several years ago a similar organization
existed as the Amateur PHOTOGRAPHERS
Association. Amateur photography had
not then taken the hold that it now has
on the public, and the Camera Club has
become the successor of the photographers
association. 1t is a modest institution
IKE or unlike the average picture taken
put Is taking an important place in the
development Of the Photographic art.
The club has a membership of something
over sixty, with ladies' auxiliary club
OF nearly forty members DR.. w. f
AIKEN IN his report to the recent annual
meeting, as president of the club. gave
an interesting review of its history and
work. One of its purposes is to raise
the standard of amateur photography. It's
club room at Bull street ana
Photographic literature. 1t also has
finely equipped dark ROOM with all the
apparatus used in the development of
Plates and in the making of pictures. The
clup mas become popular resort of the
members, and has served not only to in
crease the interest, but to improve the
character of amateur photography in Sa-
Vannah
In referring to the pleasures and advan-
tages OF Photography. DIR. Aiken, in his
report, said: 1T is our duty to establish
the claims of photography as one of the
1lne arts. Until quite recently the preiu-
dlce OF those artists whose anastigmatic
lens Is a hog-hair brush and whose de-
Veloper a palette loaded with dabs of
paint denied to our witchery of sunbeams
ana magic OF molecular change any right
TO the name of art. To-day art-photog-
iapny Is as much recognized fact as
etching or painting, as sculpture or arcbi-
lecture And who has brought about this
change? Who but the amateur pbotoe-
rapher! And now as amateurs we here
must work TO sustain and further this
eieNdlioh OF the camera processes to bet
ter thlnSs and a better name Too much
mas been said of the utility of Dbotogra-
phy IN the mechanical arts and profess
slohs' and too little heretofore of its val
ee Ioi user alone as separate and de-
iIhed art. Utility does its own advertis-
lhS' put art is ever dependent upon the
| generosity of patrons, upon the sacrifices
OF It's Votaries. The technical school will
| advance the cameras usefulness. but tb4
| responsibilities for the DEVELOPMENT of it's
| pleasure giving possibilities rests with
the amateur His field must always he
the non-paying one. Success is not for the
'Ai0i ceHdiy' Inc charmS of jealous art
await only the disinterested wooer AL
ready the amateur has done good worl, in
the unlucrative fields of PHOTOGRAPHIC sci
ence' and plenty yet remains to be done
or instance, many chemical problems
| are sun unsolved, on which will deDend
| we Know not what new possibilities and
&c Will remain for the enthusiast with a
| pent for scientific research to undertake
| TINS unremunerative labor
Ind,
Understand, when l say unremunera
1--WE mean 1t only in a pecuniary sense
as apPheo TO the many labors and trials
ol the amateur. He acquires much that
IS not negotiable currency, but that has
| worm nevertheless. Is it of no value ~
nave one s power of observation trairad
10 detect the beautiful and the pictur.eo,a
IN thousands of wayside objects TO which
the eye had been blind, but for the babit
| OF seeking learned when afield with the
camera? Inc habit once learned
nave no choice, We must see
.He eautllul Wherever it turks. A-foot or
| a-Wheel, in the woods or the workshop on
marshes or on mountains, we catcb tho
play OF light and shadow and the harp,o-
NOUS grouping of lines that stir delight
within US. And indoors we have also bad
our lessons. Each step of the work from
the first busting of the dry-plate to the
mounting, framing and hanging of the
AiiShSu PRINT mas taught us something of
delicacy, carefulness, accuracy, patience.
critical discrimination, or refinement of
taste. And in our club life we learn. also
through friendly emulation, an impartial
an impersonal justice, an ability to
criticise ably, and an understanding with
which to estimate correctly our own
work Then, too, we are made better
citizens. To find a delightful bit of nat
ural scenery marred by advertising signs
or picnic trash is to learn to abhor all
that partakes of vandalism The I'M
slightly poles and wires that mar the beau
ty of our public buildings and obstruct
the lovely vistas of our streets, and the
spirit of gain that would destroy our mag
nificent trees becomes alike hateful to us
Let us rejoice that the wires are about 10
be hidden under ground, and let us COM
mend in the highest terms the work of the
park and tree commissioners"
The Camera Club. under it's present Off
GERS, Mr.. B. j. Apple, president, and Mrs
w. r. Leaken, president of the Ladies
Auxiliary, promises TO be one of the most
popular of Savannah's younger institu-
tons.
STAMPS BY THE MILE.