EPS Members - John Nicol and the USA

© Reproduced with acknowledgement to University Library, University of Michigan, USA
and to Richard Holzman, Michigan, USA for providing this image and background details.

USA Journals

American Photography Cover

The photograph of John Nicol above is taken from the cover of the May 1910 edition of American Photography, a couple of months after his death.

The caption below the portrait reads:

JOHN NICOL PHD

Editor, The Beacon, American Amateur Photographer, American Photography.

Dr Nicol and F Dundas Todd

Thank you to Richard Holzman, Michigan, USA, for telling me more about John Nicol and his connections with photographic journals in the USA.

Richard has an interest in early photographic exposure meters and their inventors, and hence in Dr Nicol and F Dundas Todd.

Richard writes:

"The Photo Beacon Exposure Tables issued by F Dundas Todd in 1896 and later changed into the American Photography Tables which were sold into the late 1920s.

Here is what I have discovered about the early photographic journals, verified by the World Cat.

Photographic Beacon

(Nov 1885 to Feb 1887 or later)

Founded by Nicol

The Beacon

(Jan 1889 to Dec 1892)

Founded by Nicol

Photo Beacon

(Jan. 1893-June 1907)

Nicol sold his interest to Todd whose first issue was Jan. 1894.

Todd sold his interest in 1907 to Frank Fraprie of American Photographic Publishing Co. who also just acquired American Amateur Photography and Camera and Darkroom, edited by Nicol and Beach. These were combined to form American Photography in July 1907. Todd, Nicol and Beach remained as associate editors.