Other Photographic Journal Pages

Journal of the Photographic Society

also known as

The Photographic Journal

Title of the Journal

On the bound cover: The Photogrpahic Journal

On the frontispiece: The Journal of the Photographic Society of London.

On top of the pages: Journal of the Photographic Society

The Photographic Journal was one of two journals chosen by the Photographic Society of Scotland to publish their proceedings in 1856

The London Society

The Photographic Journal was the official journal of The Photographic Society [of London].  The Photographic Society subsequently became The Royal Photographic Society, and the Journal is now published as the RPS Journal.   In 1854, it described itself as:

Containing the Transactions of The Society

and a

Current Record of Photographic Art and Science

In its first issue, the journal said of the Photographic Society:

"The Object of the Photographic Society is the Promotion of  the Art and Science of Photography by the interchange of thought and experience among photographers.

The Council of the Photographic Society have therefore decided to publish a Journal."    [JPS:  Vol 1: Page 1:  Opening sentences]

Circulation and Price

The Photographic Journal was published monthly.  The first edition appeared on 3 March 1853.  Circulation in the first year reached about 2,000 copies.    

Price per issue for Vol 1 = 3d

Price per issue for Vol 2 = 5d.  

This will allow issues to be larger and include more illustrations.

In February 1855, the Photographic Society reported:

" The Journal now has a circulation of 2,750 numbers monthly and may now be regarded as upon a settled footing, at which it will contribute a clear sum of from sixty to seventy pounds a year to the funds of the Society."

Topics

A large proportion of the early papers dealt with the chemistry of photography, and in the results of experiments with the development of the collodion process. Proceedings of The Photographic Society and a small number of other societies were extensively covered.

Correspondence

In the first 4 years of its publication, the Journal of the Photographic Society included:

-  letters from India, Italy, Australia, West India, France, Jersey, Ireland, Scotland and elsewhere.  Scottish contributors are featured in the table below.

- correspondence, invariably anonymous, including letters from:

-  ABC

-  Alpha

-  An Amateur, 

-  Apprentice

-  AZ

-  Bad Luck Lately

-  Beginner

-  A Constant Reader

-  Dark Slide

-  A Seeker,

-  Half-green

-  Inquirer

-  A Lady Amateur

-  Medicus

-  Middle Tints.

-  New Collodion

-  A New Subscriber

-  Nil Desperandum

-  Old Hypo

-  Old Photo

-  An Old Subscriber

-  An Over-exposed Indian

-  A Subscriber and Lover of Photography

-  A Subscriber from The First

-  Universal Success

-  X

-  XYZ

-  Young Photo

-  Zinc