Edmonton
Photographic
Historical
Society
The
Origins and Evolution
of the
Edmonton Photographic Historical Society
The Edmonton Photographic Historical Society started in 1992 when local photographica collectors responded to a call to get together to determine interest in regular gatherings. The attendees at this initial meeting agreed that there were sufficient common interests to meet again in the future.
Meetings began on a regular basis. Various venues were rented on a meeting-by-meeting basis, with a coin collection taken to pay the rent. Usually it only cost a loonie or a toonie per person. We soon learned the photographic interests of our new friends. Some were collectors with varied camera and equipment collecting interests, others were interested in becoming better photographers, and several were interested in exploring and using various photographic processes. We began to call ourselves the Edmonton Photographic Historical Group.
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As we progressed with our development and scheduled regular monthly meetings, we developed an agenda with an assortment of topics. One meeting would have a guest speaker, another meeting might be a theme night (e.g. rangefinder cameras), or we would explore various photographic topics (e.g. collecting books). Every meeting had a show-and-tell segment where collectors would bring in their latest treasures.
In 1996 we applied for and received official Society status from the Alberta Government. As a new Society, we developed a mandate to promote the historical aspects of photography, the art and science of the processes, the equipment that was used and the photographers that made the images.
Beside our regular meeting, as outreach we decided to have an annual Photo Fair, a photographica sale and swap event. We organize the various vendors—from Society members to independent collectors—in a Sunday sale in September.
Last June our group met on Jasper Avenue on our third Wednesday meeting night to exercise our collections!
Film, digital and studio equipment, as well as representatives from other photography groups come together to celebrate photography. Some years our Society has participated at photographic events organized by others.
We continue to evolve. For many years we only met from September to May. We started to meet in June for an evening shoot, using our favourite cameras. Then we changed our December meeting into a dinner together. In the last year we have started having outdoor evening shoots once a month all summer.
Our members and contacts across Canada serve as a resource to those with questions concerning anything related to photographic subjects.
There was no shortages of subjects! From graffiti to murals, colour was everywhere. Afterwards we shared coffee.