National Photographic Society Records
name: label: Creator
content: Revenue Camera Club
label: Donor
content: Schroeder, Barbara
label: Creator
content: National Photographic Society
label: Names
content: Greater Washington Council of Camera Clubs
label: Names
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Photographic History
label: Names
content: Photographic Society of America
title: label: Topic
content: The Finder (newsletter)
topic: label: Topic
content: Clubs -- Photography -- 1940-1990 -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Topic
content: Exhibitions -- 1940-1990 -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Topic
content: Camera clubs -- 1940-1990 -- Washington (D.C.)
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Ms. Barbara Schroeder, February 12, 1999.
creator: label: Creator
content: Revenue Camera Club
label: Donor
content: Schroeder, Barbara
label: Creator
content: National Photographic Society
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Photographic Society Records
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection documents the National Photographic Society, an amateur camera club in Washington, D.C.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The Revenue Camera Club was organized in Washington, D.C. on March 14, 1938.  It changed its name to The National Photographic Society (NPS) on April 1, 1943.  It became affiliated with the Greater Washington Council of Camera Clubs and the Photographic Society of America.  The NPS was incorporated in 1944 with a constitution and by-laws as a "non-profit organization under the provisions of Chapter 5 of the Code of the District of Columbia for the promotion of art and science of photography in all its various branches, through individual memberships, associated camera clubs and other photographic organizations, research and the dissemination of photographic knowledge and the promotion of photographic salons and exhibitions."  The management of the society was vested in a board of trustees that was made up of nine members. The club held meetings in each other's homes, church basements or at the Mt. Pleasant or Georgia Avenue libraries where they showed member's prints and eventually held meetings at the Arts Club of Washington.  The club dissolved in 1986.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3.5 Cubic feet (10 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1942-1986
custodhist: label: Ownership and Custodial History
content: The donor, Barbara Schroeder, a past secretary of the club, acquired the organization's papers after it was dissolved.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0681
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Newsletters
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Minutes
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is divided into six series

Series 1: Executive Records

Series 2: Treasurer Records

Series 3: Membership Records

Series 4: The Finder Newsletter

Series 5: Photographs and Negatives

Series 6: Salons

Series 7: Camera Clubs

Series 8: Newspaper Clippings
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Alison Oswald, 2003.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 1940-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Acetate film -- 1900-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Newsletters -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings -- 1940-1990 -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Genre/Form
content: Minutes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Executive Records, 1944-1978, consist of copies and drafts of the constitution, by-laws, correspondence, and the Board of Trustee Meeting Minutes.  The Treasurer Records, 1956-1973, include bank account information that deals with authorization to open an organizational bank account, correspondence about monies collected and expenses incurred and the treasurer's annual reports that document receipts, disbursements, and special activities. The Membership Records, 1945-1984, contain directories (with mailing addresses and telephone numbers), officer information detailing which members served as trustees and/or on what committee. The club had several committees—slide, projector, portrait, special activities, publicity, finance, reception, dinner, membership, salon, audit, print, nominating, program, library and by-laws.  The membership applications were maintained on 3" x 5 and 5" x 8" index cards.  The annual awards information contains certificates awarded to Barbara Schroeder for a variety of honors, but the majority of documentation deals primarily with annual awards given for color slides.  The Henry B. Shaw Memorial Trophy was a specific award and honor that was presented to the NPS member who made the greatest contribution to the well being of NPS.  The award was named for Henry B. Shaw, former president of NPS.   

The club published a monthly bulletin titled The Finder, 1942-1986, which was distributed to club members and photographic dealers.  The Finder was a one-page newsletter from 1942 to April 1945, but in May of 1945 enlarged to four pages, in some instances with inserts. The Photographs and Negatives, 1959-1960, provide documentation of the club's annual banquet and presentation of awards in 1959 and a holiday outing to Petersburg, West Virginia.  The photographs and negatives are approximately 4" x 5".  The Salons, 1944-1959, includes schedules and other printed materials about salons that club members participated in or attended in the Washington, D.C. area.  Camera Clubs, 1949-1967, documents the Greater Washington Council of Camera Clubs, an organization with which NPS was affiliated, and the Metropolitan Camera Club Council, Inc. of New York, New York.  The newspaper clippings, 1948-1955, contain information on two columns, "Camera Angles," a weekly written by Alexander J. Wedderburn, Curator of Photography at the Smithsonian Institution and the "Monthly Print Clinic" featuring a photograph with narrative description.
label: Scope and Contents
content: Includes documents concerning the National Photographic Society's affiliations with the Greater Washington Council of Camera Clubs and the Photographic Society of America.