A Brief History of Queen's Park Camera Club
Millbrae Road junction, Glasgow. June 1906. QPCC Club Rooms are situated in the old warehouse premises on the left by the pillar.
On 30 August 1945, some three months after VE (Victory in Europe) day and as servicemen started their return to civilian life, a small group of friends with a shared interest in photography and camera equipment met up in Queen’s Park Secondary School in Glasgow’s south side and agreed to form a club with a view to arranging some lectures and practical demonstrations on how to use a camera to best advantage. So it was then that Queen’s Park Camera Club came into being.
Following this initial meeting, the club acquired 20 members within the first few weeks, charging each a £1 annual subscription, at that time a significant proportion of an average weekly wage. Such, however, was the level of interest in the use of the new range of cameras then coming on to the market, that the new club immediately proved popular, attracting 70 members (62 male and 8 female) by April 1946.
Within the first year the club was able to secure a lease to the shop premises at 32 Langside Place, Glasgow (now a hairdresser). The premises were small and the growth of membership so rapid that in 1946 the decision was taken to restrict membership numbers to 75 and a waiting list was formed for others wanting to join.
By late 1949 the club started what turned out to be a four year search for more suitable premises and in February 1954 it moved a few doors along the block to the present clubrooms at 54 Millbrae Road. From then on, not only could the club have a proper darkroom facility, it was also able to cope with all who applied for membership and the waiting list was no more.
The club’s occupation of its present clubrooms has not always run trouble free and in February 1960 something of a panic ensued when the club received a letter from someone keen to buy the rooms from the club. This was particularly alarming since the club did not actually own the premises, merely being tenants.
The committee moved quickly to put out an emergency call for donations from members. This proved highly successful and enabled the club to buy the premises. In April 1960 the purchase of the clubrooms was concluded by and for the members and there, to this day, Queen’s Park Camera Club remains.
Following this initial meeting, the club acquired 20 members within the first few weeks, charging each a £1 annual subscription, at that time a significant proportion of an average weekly wage. Such, however, was the level of interest in the use of the new range of cameras then coming on to the market, that the new club immediately proved popular, attracting 70 members (62 male and 8 female) by April 1946.
Within the first year the club was able to secure a lease to the shop premises at 32 Langside Place, Glasgow (now a hairdresser). The premises were small and the growth of membership so rapid that in 1946 the decision was taken to restrict membership numbers to 75 and a waiting list was formed for others wanting to join.
By late 1949 the club started what turned out to be a four year search for more suitable premises and in February 1954 it moved a few doors along the block to the present clubrooms at 54 Millbrae Road. From then on, not only could the club have a proper darkroom facility, it was also able to cope with all who applied for membership and the waiting list was no more.
The club’s occupation of its present clubrooms has not always run trouble free and in February 1960 something of a panic ensued when the club received a letter from someone keen to buy the rooms from the club. This was particularly alarming since the club did not actually own the premises, merely being tenants.
The committee moved quickly to put out an emergency call for donations from members. This proved highly successful and enabled the club to buy the premises. In April 1960 the purchase of the clubrooms was concluded by and for the members and there, to this day, Queen’s Park Camera Club remains.
QPCC Exhibition in Queen's Park, Glasgow. June 1979
From the outset, the club has had regular lectures and instructional sessions related to photography. In the early years there were no formal competitions, although the annual exhibition each year would produce a print which was given the Premier Award.
In 1950, one of the members, Mr Russell, designed and donated a trophy for the best print, followed in 1955 by another member, Mr Cawood, who donated a trophy for the best colour image, a highly innovative step for the time, given the relative infancy of colour processing for amateurs. These trophies have been competed for annually since then, although the Russell trophy has recently been retired and the Cawood trophy is now in its second incarnation (the first one having suffered non-return by one of its winners!).
Although the club has recognised and made awards for both monochrome and colour since the 1950s, these two elements did not share equal standing in the eyes of the members in the early days. Indeed, following complaints by Mr Cawood, an early proponent of colour processing, the committee had to take steps in November 1958 to stop members disparaging the work of those working in colour. Perhaps this was a foretaste of the film versus digital controversy which started with the introduction of digital photography in the 1990s and still continues today?
In 1950, one of the members, Mr Russell, designed and donated a trophy for the best print, followed in 1955 by another member, Mr Cawood, who donated a trophy for the best colour image, a highly innovative step for the time, given the relative infancy of colour processing for amateurs. These trophies have been competed for annually since then, although the Russell trophy has recently been retired and the Cawood trophy is now in its second incarnation (the first one having suffered non-return by one of its winners!).
Although the club has recognised and made awards for both monochrome and colour since the 1950s, these two elements did not share equal standing in the eyes of the members in the early days. Indeed, following complaints by Mr Cawood, an early proponent of colour processing, the committee had to take steps in November 1958 to stop members disparaging the work of those working in colour. Perhaps this was a foretaste of the film versus digital controversy which started with the introduction of digital photography in the 1990s and still continues today?
QPCC Exhibition at Pollok Country Park Open Day 2012
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QPCC Exhibition at Queen's Park Glasshouses 2009
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During all this time the club has continued to thrive at 54 Millbrae Road, Queen's Park, displaying a commitment to adapting to change as it has occurred. The biggest single innovation in modern times is, without doubt, the advent of digital photography as a serious photographic process. This has opened up an interest in photography to a range of people who might not have previously been interested. The club has welcomed this photographic evolution, embraced and responded to it, with virtually all members now working in a digital medium.
Accordingly, the club created a fully equipped computer room, offering all the hardware and software needed to produce and print digital work. The club’s competitions have also evolved with separate leagues and prizes being created for digital projected images as well as for prints. Today, the club and its members are an integral part of the community and participate in exhibitions and competitions at local, national and international level, with many members holding certificates of distinguished photographic merit.
Accordingly, the club created a fully equipped computer room, offering all the hardware and software needed to produce and print digital work. The club’s competitions have also evolved with separate leagues and prizes being created for digital projected images as well as for prints. Today, the club and its members are an integral part of the community and participate in exhibitions and competitions at local, national and international level, with many members holding certificates of distinguished photographic merit.
QPCC 40th Anniversary Pictures
Click on the link above to view