Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-06
OF ARTISTIC MERIT.
Exhibit of Photographs by
Capital Camera Club.
PRIVATE VIEW LAST NIGHT
Two Hundred and SiAty-Seven
Prints in the Catalogue.
LANDSCAPES AND PORTRAITS
Exhibition at Corcoran Gallery of
Art. Open to Public Until
May Is.
PRIVATE VIEW LAST NIGHT
LANDSCAPES AND PORTRAITS

Tie Capital Camera Clubs twentieth
annual exhibition, which opened with a
private view ard reception in the hemi
cNc.t hall of the Corcoran Gallery OF Art
last evening. merits attention Not only
does il stand for the most advanced work
in pictorial photography. but comprises
many attractive exhibits From the first
this club has stood for high ideals in
photography. and its exhibitions have
come to De regarded as artistic events
As marking the double decade of the
clubs existence. special effort was
made 10 insure the merit OF the present
Display. and not without success
Since the Capital Camera Club was or
2anized in May. 1891. the art-science OF
pI!otosra ply has been greatly advanced
and developed. Platinum paper has come
into use: bromide papers have been inn
proved: the so-called "gaslight' papers
have been introduced. as have also the
lenses of the anaStigmatic type; the or
thochromatic plates and color screens,
the daylight film and tank development
have all come into universal use. It IS
interesting to know, also. that some OF
the earliest moving picture films in this
country were made By member OF the
y
in the old clubrooms on the corner OIL
eth and ID streets
1t was in these rooms that the club s
first exhibitions were held. In 1894 the
assembly hall of the Cosmos Club was
lent for this purpose and from then until
Us the exhibitions were held therein or
in the rooms of the Columbia Athletic
Club Since 1900 these exhibitions have
on the same footing as those Of paint
ings and sculpture and they have attract
ed much attention both from the artists
and the general public.
Committee Of Artists.
To insure the artistic merit Of the ex
hibits it has been the custom of the Capt.
tai Camera Club for some years to have
Its jury of selection composed entirely Of
artists. Thus the consideration Of techni-
cal achievement has been prohibited and
an artistic standard established which
has given the exhibitions note. No
awards have been offered, but the distinc-
ton Of being on the list Of exhibitors has
year after year induced the leading pic
torial photographers of other cities to
submit their work to the rigid test of ex
celence required by this art jury.
The jury this year was composed OF
Richard y. Brooke. Edwin c. Messer
James Henry Moser and Mrs. Mathide
Mueden Leisenring. The exhibition COM
the display was arranged and set forth
comprised Francis c. Grow. chairman;
William S. Adams Charles Baker. w. c.
Babcock. F.. A. Halsey. H. X. Hickey.
William NJ. Netherland. c. A. Phillips. j.
I. 3eabrook. L. G. Sickler. William TN
man and the president, Charles Z. Fair
man. ex-off1c!o
Two hundred and sixty-seven prints are
enumerated in the catalogue OF this eX-
hibition. and of these about one-hslf were
contributed by members of the club and
other local photosra pliers. The rest came
from out of town-from Chicago, Pitts
burg. Bosom. Philadelphia. Baltimore and
smaller cities. II is the rule of the club
that no work can be shown which is not
from start to finish the work OF one per-
son-that is. the contributors to this ex-
hibition must not only have touched the
button. but done all the rest
The manner of arranging and cata
loguing this exhibition is much TO be
commended as greatly contributing TO the
plea sure and convenience of the visitor.
Tie work of each contributor is grouped
tively-or almost all. This year certain
pictures were withdrawn from the regular
order to form star group. which is hung
on the hemicycles fiat wall.
Limita lions of Photography.
OF course in viewing an exhibition of
photogra phs il must be unders TODD that
that the charm of photosra phic prints
lies In intimacy OF execution rather than
breadth Of effect. \ collection OF pinot o.
graphs never makes imposing display,
but rewards careful, close inspect ION.
Furthermore. it should be remembered
that the cameris: is enormously hamDered
BY facts. IT is an artists prero2ative to
elm mate non-essentials, TO remove a tree.
toi instance. if il interferes with the
beauty of a composition. bur the pictorial
ohotogra pher must take nature as he
finds l.. and regulate his compositions by
choice and skillfu employment; of quail |
fred light. All this make his task most
difficult and his success the more laud !
ole.
\ few years ago pictorial photography |
passed through period Of fog whi"a |
brought about by miScnnr eDtion % !
imDre.sionisn. Blurred. indefinite. be
logged prints We're. because Of II = mis- j.
conception. supposed tn he artistic and /
suggestive. Fortunately this piI2 is |
pa ssing. for photography. if II has any |
value. must be SINGER" must recognize
its limitations and also its SDrriai tGn' = |
tons one of which is 10 ber;' Win. -. !
This does not mean that there Is no OPP t
pOrtunity for the exercise Of m'iivid ia,i:N !
or for artistic expression. pnt that senit>' !
in the use of this M lin II = essential !
as in others which rea more directly |
to the fine arts.
To the credit of tina Genital Camera |
Club ii can be aid that the ma lority OF
the work set forth in its twentieth annual /!
exhibition complies WITH ,heS. reulIi, g.
ments-that il IS sane. frank and gen
timely artistic in feeling.
Iapdecaoas prenop,Jera+a