COWELL CAMERA CLUB
FORMED 1905
Friday 2nd June 1911 Page 2 - Eyre's Peninsula Tribune (Cowell, South Australia)
Tuesday 6th June 1911 Page 11 - The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia)
Saturday 10th June 1911 Page 13 - Chronicle (Adelaide, South Australia)
COWELL CAMERA CLUB
A meeting was held in Mr. J.H. Mitchell's store on Saturday 27th May, at which it was decided to form a club known as the Cowell Camera Club for the purpose of encouraging amateur photographers in every possible way. Membership is open to ladies as well as men. All members on joining pay a fee of 2/6 and present to the club a photograph developed and printed entirely by themselves. It is proposed to hold meetings on the second Tuesday in each month at 7pm, and there will be occasional outings of the members for the purpose of photographing various scenes and subjects. Each member will be invited at regular intervals to present photographs so taken to the Club for the purpose of comparison.
The following officers were elected: President, Rev. H.E. Inger; Vice-President, Mr. H. Flinders Mitchell; Hon.Secretary, Mr. C. Skipworth; Treasurer, Mr. J.W. Fogg.
Friday 9th June 1911 Page 3 - Eyre's Peninsula Tribune (Cowell, South Australia)
COWELL CAMERA CLUB
The next meeting of the Cowell Camera Club will be held on Tuesday, June 13th, at 7pm. Intending members Invited.
C. SKIPWORTH
HON.SECRETARY
Friday 30th June 1911 Page 2 - Eyre's Peninsula Tribune (Cowell, South Australia)
COWELL CAMERA CLUB
The Cowell Camera Club went for an outing per char-a-banc to Mindrow on Monday last (Mr. S. May acting as chauffeur). On arrival at the destination lunch was partaken of, and the party proceeded up the creek, the various members taking a number of views for competitive purposes. Afterwards ja aunt was taken up the Cleve Road for a distance of some 9 miles. A slight accident occurred which somewhat delayed the journey, but volunteers in the persons of Messrs McFarlane, G. Rowe and S. May relieved the situation. The outing was thoroughly enjoyed.
Friday 18th August 1911 Page 2 - Eyre's Peninsula Tribune (Cowell, South Australia)
COWELL CAMERA CLUBCOMPETITION
Sir — In connection with the above competition there are one or two questions I should like to ask the judge through the medium of your valuable paper.
1st. When arriving at his decision to give the successful competitor the first place did the personal factor count?
2nd. Was a toning bath of the aforesaid factor applied to the print to remove the high lights and harsh contrasts between the first and the final occasions of his seeing it?
3rd. Is it not encouraging mediocrity to give a reward to a photograph that, by his own statement, was badly mounted, defective in lighting, harsh and unpleasing, even though it were the best of the prints submitted.
Especially when the motto of the Society is or ought to be "Excelsior". Trusting he will be able to remove the fog that exists in my mind.
I am, Sir, etc.
FAIRVIEW.
Friday 18th August 1911 Page 2 - Eyre's Peninsula Tribune (Cowell, South Australia)
COWELL CAMERA CLUBCOMPETITION
Sir — Some little time ago a prize of half-a-guinea was offered for the best picture taken at the first outing of the Cowell Camera Club. When the photos had been submitted to the judge he awarded the prize to that entered by me and told the Secretary so. The Secretary left word for me to attend on Monday evening last at the Club Room to receive it. When I arrive, expecting to pocket my award, the judge announced that, after further consideration, he had decided that another picture was the best. He further stated that he had found it a difficult matter to decide, and upon referring them to a friend who was not a photographer, that friend had pointed out the other picture as the better of the two.
Now, Sir, I am prepared to submit my picture to a qualified adjudicator, provided the competitor to whom the prize has been awarded will do likewise, together with the sum of 10s 6d, and accept his judgment as final, the only condition being that the owner of the losing picture forfeit his deposit, to the Cowell Brass Band.
I am, Sir, etc,
J.W. FOGG.
Friday 25th August 1911 Page 2 - Eyre's Peninsula Tribune (Cowell, South Australia)
COWELL CAMERA CLUBCOMPETITION
The Cowell Camera Club has only been recently formed and has by no means a large membership : therefore, I regret that two letters appeared in your last issue under the above heading, but I cannot allow them to remain unanswered.
The prize was offered by a member with a view to encouraging the art of photography and promoting friendly rivalry between the members and, instead of doing this, it appears to have sown the germs of strife and dissension which should not have been made public, even if they do exist. Mr. Fogg is wrong as regards stating that his picture had been awarded the prize by the judge. The judge was appointed by a general meeting and until this had been done no award could have been made. Mr Fogg was present at this meeting and voted for the appointment of the judge and knew as to the report to be made to a later meeting and, therefore, should not have taken as official, any rumor as to the award.
The Hon.Secretary denies that the judge told him who would be awarded the prize and the judge confirms this. Unfortunately, the Secretary did leave a message for Mr. Fogg to attend the meeting to receive his prize but this expression was jokingly made use of by the Hon.Secretary in notifying other members of the meeting.
The judge certainly did inform the members that he had asked a friend (who was not a photographer) for an opinion on the pictures but distinctly stated that this was after he had determined to whom he would award the prize and that he did not then alter his opinion.
There was practically a full attendance at the meeting when the judge's decision was announced and neither Mr Fogg, nor any other person, had a word to say either for or against the award, although they were afforded ample opportunity to do so.
Mr Fogg's challenge to the prize-winner is certainly absurd and should be entirely ignored by that person. The prize winner has not been parading round his picture as the best and why should he be asked to forfeit 10s 6d if the judge has made a mistake (which I certainly do not admit).
I will not reply to "Fairview's" letter because it is a most mean and contemptible attack on the integrity and straightforwardness of a gentleman who is held in high respect by the residents of this district by a person who has not the courage to make himself known but shields himself behind a non-de-plume.
It appears that the lot of judges is similar to that of policemen, "not a happy one", and it is certainly a thankless position.
Trusting you will find room for this in your valuable paper in order to clear up a matter that has unnecessarily been made public.
I am, Sir, etc.
H. FLINDERS MITCHELL
Vice-President
Cowell Camera Club
Cowell, 19th August 1911.
Friday 1st September 1911 Page 2 - Eyre's Peninsula Tribune (Cowell, South Australia)
COWELL CAMERA CLUB
Sir — In answer to the letter which appeared in your last issue above the name of H. Flinders Mitchell. I wish to make certain remarks and present some hard facts to your readers. As to whether his letter or mine is most calculated to sow the seeds of dissension amongst the members of the Club, I leave them to judge.
Mr Mitchell appears in the familiar role of defending advocate on behalf of several gentlemen who are, or ought to be, perfectly able to answer for themselves. His letter contains a good deal of special pleading which, whilst it is interesting and, indeed, occasionally intense, is not quite consistent with the facts of the case and, upon the whole, is misleading.
He makes, it is true, statements as to the remarkable manner in which the Judge arrived at his decision to award the prize, lets us into the secret of the peculiar brand of humor the Secretary sees fit to employ and informs us what the owner of the successful print did not do and also what he ought to do. But all these statements are merely ex parte, and based on hearsay evidence only which, as the writer knows, is not admissible in a court of law, and ought not to appear in public correspondence, as they are, in addition, at variance with what really happened.
For instance, the message left at my house by the Secretary, in reference to the prize, was not given to me personally but was left with a member of my family and if anything in the message was humorous it did not appear, in his manner or upon his countenance, upon that occasion. The humor must have been subtle indeed, if it was to appeal to me when the bearer of the message was innocent of anything else than downright seriousness.
Mr. Mitchell is very absolute in his judgment regarding my challenge to the prize winner. The only absurdity I discern is in his dictatorial manner when he declares it must be ignored. I have no doubt this will have clue weight with the person concerned and I shall hear no more of the matter.
Then, Sir, when we turn to the statements Mr. Mitchell makes upon his own authority still more glaring discrepancies appear. For instance, he says that the members of the Club were afforded ample opportunity to speak for or against the award when, as a matter of fact, when the judge's decision was announced, Mr Mitchell, who was in the chair, rose and said he hoped no one would raise any question in regard to the award, thus closing the mouths of those present : had it not been for this my appeal would have been made then and I know others who would have spoken. Then, further, he declares he does not admit the judge made a mistake in giving the prize, when he did admit to two gentlemen on the day my letter appeared in the press that he was greatly surprised himself when the decision was announced and stated he thought my print should have had the prize. Let me say, in conclusion, that this correspondence has been painful to me but the necessity to appeal against a palpable injustice compelled me to take the course I have. As far as I am concerned this ends the matter. Trusting you will find space in your valuable paper for my letter.
I am, Sir, etc.
J.W. FOGG.
22nd September 1911 Page 545 - Volume 18 No. 9 - Australasian photo-review
23rd October 1911 Page 607 - Volume 18 No. 10 - Australasian photo-review
COWELL CAMERA CLUBHON.SECRETARY
E.W. SULLIVAN
22nd November 1911 Page 669 - Volume 18 No. 11 - Australasian photo-review
22nd December 1911 Page 735 - Volume 18 No. 12 - Australasian photo-review
COWELL CAMERA CLUBHON.SECRETARY
C.S. SKIPWORTH
c/o J.H. Mitchell, Cowell
Thursday 3rd September 1964 Page 30 - Port Lincoln Times (South Australia)
Thursday 24th September 1964 Page 34 - Port Lincoln Times (South Australia)
FIRST EYRE PENINSULA SLIDE EXHIBITION
Sponsored by: Cowell Camera ClubEntry forms available from Eyre Peninsula Camera Clubs and photographic suppliers. Enquiries to President, A.J. Trezise, Mangalo.