Holmfirth Camera Club is staging an exhibition to marks its 75th anniversary.
The club was founded on January 8, 1940 by two doctors, Dr J W Watthews and Dr J Lubran along with barber Wylbert Kemp. The first meeting of 15 people was held at Wylbert’s home at Waterloo House on South Road, Holmfirth. The club continued to meet despite the difficult wartime conditions and in April 1946 re-launched itself with an exhibition and an open meeting held in the Co-op Hall on Victoria Street.
Initially club activities were divided fairly evenly between ciné and still photography. Still photography included both prints and slides – some of these being lantern slides (in colour or hand-coloured), but some members were already using 35mm slides. A programme of competitions was set up and Dr Watthews gave a trophy for still photography with Dr Lubran providing one for ciné photography. These trophies are still awarded in present day club competitions.
An outstanding filmmaker in the club was founder member Kathleen Lockwood, winner of the Lubran Ciné Trophy 18 times, far more than any other member. Since 1990 the emphasis on cine film declined and in 2006 a lottery grant was awarded so the club could convert to digital.
Over the years the club has moved its headquarters several times and now plans to move to a new base at Wooldale Community Centre.
Phil Hack, who has been a member since 2004 and retires this year as president, said: “The main strength of the club has been that we have been forward-looking and ready to embrace new ideas and situations engaging in regional and national activities.”
In 2008 the Regional Exhibition of the Yorkshire Photographic Union was hosted at the North Light Gallery in Armitage Bridge. Last June Holmfirth Camera Club took part for the first time in Holmfirth Art Week at the fringe event in the Methodist church and will do so again this year.
The club will be staging its annual exhibition in Holmfirth town centre and combining it with Holmfirth Film Festival. This runs from May 16 to 22 and will be based in and around, Holmfirth Picturedrome and Holmfirth Adult Education Centre which is being reopened for the week. The camera club will be presenting slides of its history and current prizewinning images as part of the popular Local Film Night on Monday, May 18 at 7.30pm at the Picturedrome (entry £5). Another highlight will be the world premiere of a short film by local film maker, Tim Copsey, about one of the club’s founders called ‘Wylbert Kemp; A Valley Man’.
Throughout the festival there will be an exhibition of printed images old and new at Holmfirth Adult Education Centre from 11am–8pm. A pop-up pub on the premises will be serving food and real ale.
Featured at both the Local Film Night and the week-long exhibition will be prints by Iain Jackson, Photographer of the Year 2014/15, whose images over 10 competitions during the year scored highest total marks.
Anyone interested in learning more about the club should speak to club members stewarding at the Adult Education Centre during the Film Festival Week or visit www.HolmfirthCameraClub.com
