Sorry but you
just cannot stop the continued onslaught of electronics and the digital
age. As a new service, if you are on the internet and wish to order
chemicals you may now do so at the following email address crcchemical@digital-design.demon.co.uk
Also I hope to have a new price list ready soon and if you want a copy of
that sent to you by email just email the same address with the word
chemlist in the main text body. You will either get the list or a message
saying that it is not yet available. In case you are not aware, I work
full time at Anglia Television in the engineering section. A few days ago
I was transferring an old archive film of a local Norfolk man, hand making
brooms. He was a real local and I hasten to add did not have the 'Bernard
Matthews "BOOTIFULL"' accent. He had the real Norfolk accent. At
the time my fellow engineers made the comment that the film was a valuable
record of local life. Life which has since disappeared in the 20 years
since the program was made. The point is, when the program was made it
reflected life as it was then and in just 20 years it has become a
valuable historical record.
If we now look
at ourselves you can see that photographs which we take today could become
the valuable records of tomorrow. Some of you may have seen the A.V. which
I presented of the building of a travelling fairground. The owners of the
fairground have already said that it will be a historical record of their
trade. I have also done an A.V. of Fakenham on market day. Already
Fakenham has changed and thus this presentation has become a historical
record. I have transparencies made on Ilford Colour Slide film, the first
time colour film appeared under the Ilford label, something which they
dropped. At the last meeting at Didcot, Bill Reid projected some cine film
which he shot on CR50 cine film. I am sure Bill will put in an editors
comment if I have not quite got my facts right. We have also seen, on more
than one occasion at previous AGMs, samples of slides from a bye gone
time. Not 35mm but a size now alien to us, and not on the flexible stuff
which we use now.
It can be
easily seen that the ordinary photographer of today is tomorrows'
historian. The famous Frith collection is a collection of photographs
about ordinary life of a bygone era, now an invaluable insight into the
past. Photographic clubs, such as the CRC have members who not only
produce photographs but records which, although it might not be recognised
now, will be invaluable in the future.
Perhaps we should all look in the proverbial attic, shoe box,
biscuit tin and pull out those photographs which you never quite got round
to filing or storing correctly. Do we not owe it to our children and our
childrens' children to preserve for them the past?
Yes we have that capability if only we take the step now. Looking
into the future, I wonder how many photographs, or records, will be shot
to commemorate the millennium?
In thinking of
the past it came to mind that the CRC celebrated in a small way when it
was 21 years old. Well in fact the club was 21 years old since the CR50
club which evolved to become the CRC first came about. However of course
we did not mark our silver anniversary, 25 years since Fred Harvey first
started it all in 1971. This brings me intoa subject which has been the
'bee in my bonnet' for a number of years. Fred had a prenominal response
to his idea and he soon had 500 members of the club which he thought would
only attract less than 100. The club grew even larger. Now I am aware that
perhaps the popularity of slide film has decreased and also that perhaps
home processing has diminished. Electronic imaging has taken its toll.
BUT. has the interest dropped to such an extent or have we lost a greater
proportion of members than the decline in interest would suggest. I think
we have. A while ago we had a serious problem in that the incumbent
members were getting older and there were no young blood entering. I
shudder to think what the average age of the club members was but I am
sure it was not in the 20's! We
now have about 200 members and I feel we should have more. Again the 'die
hards', have done an excellent job in recruitment but the remaining 150
should be able to help out. We may have missed the 25 anniversary but I
would like to celebrate 30 years and a few more members would help make
this goal a reality.
Finally, as this issue will be out just in time
before the AGM may I urge you all to make the effort if at all possible
and COME ALONG, and also if you know of anyone who may be interested, drag
them along as well.