All Images by Members of Camera Club of New York

Liam, Age 3 © Dennis O'Brien

As one of the longest-standing camera clubs in America—officially founded in 1888—the venerable Camera Club of New York continues to endure, although many others around the country have fallen by the wayside. The club got its start when several businessmen who were also photo enthusiasts began meeting on a regular basis during the mid-1880s. They had separated from a group called the Society of Amateur Photographers around 1885, but rejoined to combine their resources. In the late 1890s, Alfred Stieglitz was involved with the club and even served as its Vice President, according to current CCNY board member Saul Robbins. Stieglitz had a great deal of influence in defining the club’s purpose, which was “to further greater respectability, both technically and aesthetically, as well as fostering a community of photographic interest and involvement.”


A Colorful (and B/W) Past
The club not only serves a social purpose, Robbins says, but has also offered classes, workshops and lectures throughout the years. Historically, he explains, “an incredible rank of people have come through, who were also involved in giving presentations and discussing technological advancements.” Among these individuals were Anthony Eastman, Clarence White, W.H. Burbank, and Frank Eugene. It was at one of the club’s lectures that photographer Paul Strand first learned about the right-angle viewer, with which he shot some of his well-known portraits of people on the street. Stieglitz was also the publisher of a free newsletter called Camera Notes, “which was a free subscription for members,” says Robbins. “However, it was the photogravure illustrations that received the most critical praise.” The club was the first to admit a woman in 1886, and furthered the efforts of having photography be recognized as a universally available and accessible medium.  

Fulton, Nassau © Elizabeth Holmes

Today, the club has about 62 active members, according to Robbins. Fees are $1400 a year (which includes darkroom usage), $150 a month, or $75 for “friends of the club,” who can attend lectures and workshops. The members exhibit their work and attend meetings throughout the year. CCNY also maintains a lecture and workshop series, held at New York’s School of Visual Arts. Their speakers include professionals like Scott Thode, Picture Editor of Fortune magazine, as well as Craig Barber, who recently discussed his images in his new book about Vietnam.

Seeking New Quarters
The club’s current location houses six darkrooms and one color processor. There are currently no digital facilities for digital output, although a couple of computers are available for this purpose. CCNY has had a home at 14th and Broadway in New York for the past 20 years, but increasingly higher rents are forcing them to find new quarters in June 2007, says Robbins. Thus, they are actively seeking new space and hosting regular fundraisers. Currently, Robbins points out, the majority of the club’s funding has come from membership dues and donations, as well as a few contributions that come in every year. “We’re like a lot of other non-profit organizations that have limited means and resources. We’re trying to figure out what part of our mission we’ll be able to maintain, based on what sort of space we’ll find,” he explains.

Penn Station, 1924 © Joseph Ruzicka

“At a recent member meeting, someone asked, ‘what’s the worst-case scenario?’ The answer was that we’d have to close all the darkrooms and put everything into storage. We’d try to maintain some sort of lecture and workshops series in independent places like art galleries,” Robbins acknowledges. He also notes that it’s an interesting time because of the shift towards the digital darkroom and the shift away from wet processes, “but there really is no other place that functions like the Camera Club of New York, because we have these darkrooms, as well as 24/7 access.” They’ve also started a number of innovative programs. About a year ago the club started a residency program, in which they offer one-month residencies to different photographic artists. Both Fujifilm U.S.A and Eastman Kodak have generously donated materials.


Dedicated Membership
CCNY members have the opportunity to exhibit their work 3–5 times a year, and the club has held a few auctions featuring their work. They recently held an auction in which they offered a limited edition of 25 archive prints by

Sand Dunes © Walter Naegle

Czech photographer, Joseph Ruzicka. “He was an early pictoralist/modernist who did a lot of photography in New York City, and belonged to the camera club for around 30 years. He left his archive with us, including his negatives,” Robbins comments. Some of these prints, which depict Penn Station in 1924, are still available for sale.  

Robbins, who has been a member of CCNY for eight years, is very active in the organization. He sits on the club’s Board of Directors, and is involved in their real estate and fund-raising committees. He also teaches photography at the International Center for Photography (ICP). Robbins says that the Camera Club of New York has a lot of passionate, dedicated members, ranging from hobbyists to professional photographers. “The efforts of Stieglitz were always to promote an awareness and appreciation of photographic processes,” he says proudly. “We continue to be a very vibrant and active organization.”


To learn more about the Camera Club of New York, visit http://www.cameraclubofnewyork.org.

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