A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS
By Ron Knowles
Some 70 years ago a twelve years old schoolboy in Northern Ireland processed his first photographic negative, a glass plate, followed subsequently, and guided by his father who was an enthusiastic amateur, he turned out his first black & white print. In the intervening years that youngster of long ago has enjoyed an adventurous and varied life but has never neglected his interest in the photographic art: indeed he is still active both behind the camera and in the dark-room.
Now into his eighties Dr. G. A. W. Neill has been a member of the Colour Rversal Cub `since he doesnt remember when!` but admits `it`s been a long long time!`
These days, of course, he devotes his interest to the colour slide and his only concession to advancing age, so far as his dark-room activities are concerned, is that he has discarded weighing & mixing for the less demanding and more convenient commercial kit.
THE EARLY YEARS. Way back in 1931 the young Mr. Neill graduated at Queen`s University, Belfast gaining an MB B ch. Service with the Territorial Army saw him embark on a career in preventive medicne and further qualifications saw him appointed Medical Officer of Health in 1938. Active service followed from 1939-1946 when he saw spells in Dunkirk, the Western Desert and Greece - as well as a period as a prisoner of war in Germany when he took the opertunity of comparative inactvity to study Law - later to take the necessary exams and eventually being called to the English Bar by Gray`s Inn.
In 1947 he became a County Medical Officer in Northern Ireland, later moving to Barnsley as Medical Officer of Health where he stayed untill retirement in 1974. At the same time he had a Territorial Army posting in Nothern Command - from this he retired with the rank of Colonel 1967. Dr. Neill served as Honorary Surgeon to H. M. the Quenn from 1961 to 1963 and was later appointed O.B.E.
PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERESTS. Dr. Neill had a brief `love affair` with 8mm cinephotography but found the tiny format gave an inferior image quality which failed to satisfy his demands for pefection. But his work lecturing for the Health Education Authority provided an introduction to the projected 35mm slide which led to a lasting interest, particularly attractive as a retirement persuit - especially as this field became extended with the introduction of Cibachrome.
A 1976 visit to Photokina in Cologne further widened his horizon when he realised that the slide/tape technique was the ideal way to present his, by now, formidable collection of slides.
Membership and subsequently an Associateship of the Royal Photograpic Society followed leading to ever greater demands on his time with requests for Audio-Visual shows for various organisations, including our own "C.R.C." get-to-gether. Even now he reckons to give a couple or so shows each year. Additional to his 35mm work he has also completed around six sequences of 6 x 6cm slides and says, "... the photographic quality is fascinating - though the heavy slides have caused problems with the projector at times".
The equipment he now has includes a Leica M6; Nikons F2, FG, F3; Hasselblad 500 GM; a Durst enlarger and colour analyser; Two Agfa 250w, Two Kodak Carousel SAV 2050, Two Leisegang 6 x 6 format; A/V syncronising units 2 x Electrosonic Eclipse; Audio/Visual sound gear Tascam 4-track reel to reel recorder; 3-track A/V cassette recorder; Neal 3-track A/V cassette recorder; Teac mixer.
On the only occasion I have actually met Dr. Neill, at the Lincoln CRC meeting some years ago, I was unable to appreciate the quality of his A/V show for I was suffering with eyesight problems and eventually had cataracts removed from both eyes. By coincidence at the time I have been in contact with Dr. Neill, in order to obtain the above information, he too has had a cataract removed. I understand he, too, is doing well.