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Tonight

1

Exhibits

2

Web Site

3

Early
Photography

4

Professional
Photographers

5

Photographic
Societies

6

PSS
1856

7

EPS History,
Members

8

EPS Dinners,
Outings, Meetings

9

EPS Premises,
Exhibitions

10

Early
20th Century

11

Mid
20th Century

12

Today

Ethnographic Photography

Postcards in Scotland

1861

International Exhibitions

Outings

Popular Meetings

Wednesday Lectures

1862

Beginners’ Classes

1864

Outings by train

1865

Colour Darkroom

1866

Conversazzione

1867

Annual Dinner

1869

Photograph Album

1871

Outings by Canal Barge

Picnics

1872

Distribution of Photographs

1876

Outings by Wagonette

Presentation Print

1881

Edinburgh Photographic Club

1882

Members’ Exhibition

1884

Library created

1890

Exhibition Entertainment

1892

Bought   38 Castle Street

Darkroom

Debates

Elementary Section

Lantern Section

1898

EPS Cycling Camera Corps

Outings by Cycle

Outings by Steamer

Practical Photography Section

1899

Essay Competition

Survey Group

1903

EPS Golf Club

1909

Ladies’ Practical Meetings

1914

Outings by Motor Car

Outings by Motor Charabanc

1915

Outings by Motor Bus

1916

Portfolio Section

1919

Whist Drive

1923

Pictorial Group

Rambling Club

1924

Hat Nights

1925

Exchange of Photographs

1927

Ciné Section

1928

Bromoil Working Party

1930

Instructional Lectures

1946

Inter-Club Competitions

1947

Beetle Drive

Record Group

Studio

1948

Sale & Exchange

1953

Christmas Parties

Monthly Competitions – Prints

1954

Bought   68 Great King Street

1955

Club Night

Colour Group

Studio

Studio Group

1956

Gadget Night

1957

Monthly Competitions – Slides

Colour Printing Group

1972

Improver Courses

1973

Advanced Course

Creative Group

1974

New Members’ Group

1975

Children’s Lectures

Natural History Group

Nature Photography Group

1987

Audio-Visual Group

1995

Print Auction

1997

Digital Imaging Group

Print Group

1903 Dinner

Programme

Toast: The King 

Toast: The Queen and Royal Family

          Song

Toast: The Imperial Forces

         ‘Cello solo

    Reply

          Song

Toast: Our Guests

          Violin solo

    Reply

 Interval

          Pianoforte solo

Toast: Lord Provost, Magistrates and Town Council

          Song 

     Reply

          Trio (Violin, Cello, Piano)

Toast: The “E P S”

          Song

     Reply

          Violin Solo

Toast: Kindred Societies

          Song

    Reply

          Song

Toast: The Chairman and the Croupiers

    Reply

All except one of the cameras here were using emulsion plates.  The BJP reported:

Beer & Albumen

"What I wish specially to notice, is the fact that Edinburgh, hitherto the stronghold of the beer-and-albumen process, has been unable to resist the encroachment of the gradually-strengthening emulsion tide."

Exposures

"Several of the members having faith in the three or four minutes' exposure or even shorter, which are said to give good results south of the Tweed, are mourning sadly over under-exposure.

The Secretary achieved perfect negatives with six plates, his exposures varying from 15 to 40 minutes."

Survey Rambles

Survey Rambles were arranged in the early 1900s, in order to create a photographic record of different areas of the city.

EPS Cycling Camera Corps

Outings of the EPS Cycle Camera Corps.  There were several outings, varying from 10 to 40 miles in 1898-99.

"The main object was to promote the carrying of a camera by means of the cycle.  Members were encouraged to bring a camera, either hand or stand."

Excursions by Train

The notice for an excursion to Stirling announced:

"The Railway Company has kindly agreed to take the Members by fast train at single journey fare, and has offered to provide a saloon car should the number going warrant it."

Excursions by Boat

The notice for the 1900 outing to Inchkeith read:

"If Members and their friends to the extent of 100 undertake on or before the 1st day of May at latest to join the excursion, a good steamer from Leith at 3pm will be provided at the small charge of 1s 6d per head.

If such number is not forthcoming, then the party will have to proceed from Aberdour by open boats."

1877

The 1877 Annual Picnic was to Almond Dell, travelling by decorated barge.  The BJP reported:

"Mr Kyles, of Portobello, was master of the ceremonies, and under his active management the stringed band occupying the stern of the vessel was kept hard at work, dancing being kept up with much spirit to the apparent enjoyment of the younger members of the party.

Between the dances, the piano was kept busy accompanying the singers of whom there was a good supply for both solos and part songs."

This may well have been the bill for the drinks at Almond Dell.

Bill for Drinks  -  1877 or 1878

©  Reproduced by courtesy of Edinburgh Photographic Society

1883

The photographic journals reported that the EPS Annual Picnic had become well established by the 1880s.  Here are tickets for the 1883 picnic:

©  Reproduced by courtesy of Edinburgh Photographic Society

Gentlemen 7/6d:    Ladies 5/6d

Here is a recent photograph of a barge on the canal:

Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

1883

The journals reported that in 1883:

-  A Party of 109 travelled on a decorated barge with a couple of violins, ’cello and piano, dances and song.

-  On the outward journey, there was a solo singing competition with seven lady competitors, the prize being a 10” x 8” portrait in carbon of the winner (presented by Mr Balmain).

-  The bachelors won the Tug of War between married and single.

-  There was music and dancing for 3 to 4 hours on the barge for the return journey.”

1886

The Chicago Beacon of April 1886 reported:

-  EPS organises frequent camera excursions and a grand annual picnic.

- On this occasion the whole of the photographic establishments are closed and amateur and professional employer and employé meet together and have a right good time.

-  Games included sack and barrow races, three-leg race, battledore, quoits and a  walking backwards race."

1.  Popular Meetings

2.  Group Meetings

3.  Wednesday Meetings

1861 to 1901

-  EPS held between about 2 and 5 Popular Meetings each winter from from 1861 to 1900.

-  These meetings were open to the Public and were usually travelogues  illustrated with Magic Lantern slides, often together with musical entertainment from the 1880s onwards.

-  Up to 1,400 free tickets were issued for Popular Meetings in the 1880s. Typically  700 people would attend, and sometimes as many as 1,000.

Visitor Ticket for EPS Popular Meeting  -  1881

©  Reproduced by courtesy of Edinburgh Photographic Society

Tickets

-  This ticket is one of a set of three distributed to every EPS Member.

-  EPS Members could attend Popular Meetings without charge.

-  In some years, their guests could attend without charge.

Trouble

Note the last line of the ticket.  There had been problems at earlier Popular Meetings with youths who used pea-shooters from the Galleries.

Expenses

One of the expenses, recorded in the EPS Cash Books for some of the Popular Meeting in the 1880s, was the charge for the Police Constable on duty.

This charge varied between 1/1d and 1/10d per meeting.

Receipt for 1s 6d for the Police Constable on Duty

Cinematograph

- By the late-1890s, some Popular Meetings included Living Pictures by means of the Cinematograph.

- The Cinematograph that led to the demise in of EPS’s Popular Meetings with their lantern slides.

-  The final Popular Meeting was held in 1901.

1860s

Lecture titles included:

-  Algiers.

-  Egypt.

-  Russia.

-  Tenerife.

-  Orkney Islands.

-  Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

-  Cathedrals and Abbeys of England.

1870s

Lecture titles included:

-  Arctic.

-  China.

-  Java.

-  Falls of Niagara.

-  Valley of the Nile.

-  Yosemite Valley.

1880s

Lecture titles included:

-  Pompeii and Herculaneum.

-  Italy and Switzerland.

-  Temples and Palaces of Japan.

-  Round the World with a Camera.

-  To Norway and Back by the St Sunniva.

Also one lecture at which Mr Pringle sang, in admirable voice and feeling, seven or eight of Burns’ songs, in front of an audience of 900.

-  The Life, Land and Lyrics of Robert Burns.

1890s

Lecture titles included:

-  South Africa

-  Ober Ammergau

-  Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn

-  The Scottish Coastline

-  Abbeys and Cathedrals of Scotland

-  Rambles through Fife with a Camera

1900s

The last two Popular Lectures were given on 9 February and 15 March 1901.  They showed cinematographs of

-  The War in South Africa.

-  The Funeral of Queen Victoria.

-  A Rugby Football match.

Edinburgh Photographic Club

EPS Advanced Section (1969-1973)

EPS Audio-Visual Group (1987-1997)

EPS Beginners Section   (1890s-1990s)

EPS Ciné Section

EPS Colour Group

EPS Colour Printing Group

EPS Creative Group

EPS Creative Photography Group

EPS Cycling Camera Corps

EPS Elementary Lectures  (1892-1925)

EPS Golf Club

EPS Groups

EPS Instructional Courses

EPS Intermediate Courses

EPS Lantern Section  (1892-1915)

EPS Meetings throughout the week

EPS Natural History Group (from 1975)

EPS Nature Photography Group (from 1975)

EPS Phoenix Group  [from c.2003]

EPS Pictorial Section  (1923-1926)

EPS Practical Section  (1919-25)

EPS Survey Section

- Meetings have always been held on Wednesdays, sometimes weekly, sometimes fortnightly for 147 years.

-  Usually lectures by EPS or visiting lecturers.

-  Once or twice a month, competitions.

-  Subjects of the lectures have changed over the years.

1860s

Art

-  Hints on the Nature of Pictorial Beauty the Principles of  Composition

-  On the Importance of a few of the Leading Principles of the Art of Drawing and their bearing on Photography

Travel

-  The Velocipede as an Adjunct to Landscape Photography.

Processes

-   The Collodian Process

-   The Tannin Process

-   The Fothergill Process

-   The Coffee Process

-   The Hot Water Process.

1870s

Art

-  What is Fine Arts and does it include Photography? (debates)

Equipment

-  Recent Explosions and causes in connection with the Oxyhydrogen Light

-  Production of Micrography

Processes

-  A few Reasons why the Photographer should study Practical Chemistry

-   The Platinotype Process

-   The Gelatine Process 

-   Carbon Printing

-   Gelatino-bromide Emulsion

-   The Beer and Albumin Process

-   The Whisky-and-Water Process

1880s

Art

-   Recreation in Art

-   Photography and Art 

-   An Early Taste for art and its training

Travel

-   Mr Shadbrooke’s photographs from a balloon.

-   Rome, Spain, Norway, Tangiers

-   Maine to California.

Equipment

-   Pinhole photography

-   Construction of camera bellows (with demonstration)

-   A  flexible window for the dark tent

   Sturrock’s patent washing apparatus

-   Terras’ vignetting frame

-   A machine for coating paper with emulsion

1890s

Art

-   Hints on the Nature of Pictorial Beauty the Principles of  Composition

-  On the Importance of a few of the Leading Principles of the Art of Drawing and their bearing on Photography

Travel

-  The Velocipede as an Adjunct to Landscape Photography.

Processes

-   The Collodian Process

-   The Tannin Process

-   The Fothergill Process

-   The Coffee Process

-   The Hot Water Process.

1900s

Colour Photography

-  Colour Photography in Theory and Practice for Amateurs

-  Colour Photography - The Joly, Lippmann and Wood processes 

Travel

-  Holidays with Camera and Cycle

-  Yachting Photography

-  With Motor and Camera in Normandy and Touraine

Nature

Rev. Bonar listed the following problems that could arise, after finding a suitable site for bird photography:

1.    The apparatus may fail to release the shutter

2.    The light may suddenly change, and give you a wrong exposure

3.    The plate may be spoiled  in developing

4.    The plate may be fogged if the day is very sunny

5.    The plate may be cracked in the holder

6.    You may focus wrongly, or the bird may perch out of focus

7.    The camera may get slewed round a little

8.    The camera may rock with the wind, especially if fixed in a tree

9.    The bird may perch, but fly away too soon 

10.  The bird may perch just outside the area covered by the lens

11.  The bird may spoil the plate with movement

12.  The bird may turn its back to the camera

13.  The bird may be indistinguishable from the background

14.  The bird may never come at all.

1910s

The War Years

“ No person shall without permission make any photograph of any person or thing within the Parishes of Bo'ness and Carriden, Abercorn and Dalmeny, in the county of Linlithgow; the Parish of Cramond in the county of Midlothian; those portions in the Parishes of Torryburn, Dunfermline, Inverkeithing, Dalgety and Aberdour, which lie to the south of the Railway Lines Torryburn-Dunfermline and Dunfermline-Burntisland.

Permits will only be granted for good and sufficient reason."

Edinburgh

-  The Beauty of Edinburgh - a Critical Survey

-  Old Lantern Slides of Old Edinburgh.

Processes

-   The Newest Printing Methods - Bromoil

-   Gaslight Papers and their Possibilities

-   Developing of Autochromes

-   Platinum Printing

1920s

Chemistry

-  Elementary Chemistry as applied to Photography.

Scientific and Psychic

-  X-Ray Photography 

-  Photomicography

-  The Question of Spirit Photography

-  Psychic Photography.

Processes

 - The Art of Developing

- Retouching the Landscape Negative

- The Principles of Oil and Bromoil Printing

-  Cinematography  [demonstration by Pathé Bros] 

-  Panchromatism  [provided by the Imperial Dry Plate Co ]

1930s

Regular Topics

-   A Symposium on Holiday Photography, with lantern slides

-   'Gadgets' and 'Bring your Troubles'

Documentary

-  Salvage of the Fleet at Scapa Flow

-  Aerial Photography

-  Architectural Photography

-  Fire!  The Edinburgh Fire Brigade at Practice and at Work

Art

-  The Seventeenth Century Great Masters

-   Great Landscape Painters, Constable and Turner.

1940s

The War Years

“A modified Syllabus is being arranged.  Each month, a Meeting will be held on the Wednesday nearest the full moon, so that members will be able to attend with the minimum of inconvenience”.

New Topics

- Exhibitions of slides form RPS and elsewhere

- Sponsored lectures and films - particularly from Kodak.

Processes

-  Lantern slide making 

-  Bromoil

-  Ciné photography 

1950s

Debates

-  Is Multiple Printing Inherently Dishonest? 

-  Monochrome Photography is Outdated

Equipment

-  Making your own Enlarger 

-  Home-made Cameras and Other Gadgets 

One Man Shows

-  M W Elphinstone

-  John Knight

-  Iain Smith

-  Douglas Fraser

-  John Black

-  Marion Boron

-  Gracie Alison-

-  Dr. Alexander Dunbar

-  J Dewar

1960s

Portraiture

-   Faces and Fashion

-   Portraiture for Theatres and Films

Travel

-  One square furlong of Edinburgh 

-   Eastward to the Antarctic and 

-   Crossing the Ice Cap.

Processes

-   Bromoil

-   Brometching

-   Multiple Printing.

-   Tone Separation

1970s

Scientific

-   Solarized Slides

-   Crystals through the Polarising Microscope

-   Subterranean Splendour

Processes

-  Colour Printing from black + white negatives

-  Lith, Line and Luck

-  The Derivative Processes in Colour

-  Colour Printing by Tone Separation and Other Fiddles

1980s

RPS

-  Towards a Distinction

-  Third Time Lucky

-  Just Six More 

History

-   Photographic Development, from gaslight to Cibachrome

-   Evolution of a Club Photographer

-   An Evening of Self Indulgence, a photographer's autobiography

Visiting Lecturers

- "Old Moore's Almanac"   Bob Moore, 7 Wednesday Lectures, 1978-2008

-  "The Sassenach"             Bill Wisden,  13 Wednesday Lectures, 1965-2003

-  "The Welsh Dragon"       Margaret Salisbury,  8 Wednesday Lectures, 1980-2004

1990s

Professional Photographers

-  35 Years before the Masthead

-  Portraiture

Travel

-  The Falklands

-  Nature Photography 

-  The Galapagos

-  Russian Mountains

-  Deserts and Wildlife

Digital Imaging

-  Computer Aided Photographer

-  Creative Computing for Photographers

2000s

Art

-  Elementary Chemistry as applied to Photography.

EPS Members' Lectures

- "From Rockies to Pacific"  Richard Cormack, 10 Wednesday Lectures 1968-2004

- "Trecking in Morocco"        Richard Cormack, 10 Wednesday Lectures 1968-2004

-  "Macro and Flash"              Sandy Cleland,  11 Wednesday Lectures, 1979-2008

-  "On Safari"                            Sandy Cleland,  11 Wednesday Lectures, 1979-2008

Processes

-   Digital Imaging