Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Charlottetown Camera Club flourished between 1954 and 1968. Roland Taylor organized the first Camera Club on Prince Edward Island in 1937 but this group soon disbanded. Shortly after World War II, with the help of Vic Runtz, Roland reorganized the Charlottetown Camera Club and remained an active member until at least 1968.
A key feature of the Camera Club was its frequent competitions. Subjects for competition included seascapes, landscapes, portraits, character studies, table top photography, festivities, winter scenes, animals, architecture, still life and realism. The Club initially worked with black and white prints but as members became more ambitious, the club also began working in color slides. Following the formation of the Charlottetown Camera Club, annual salons of photography were held, open to any amateur photographer who was a resident of PEI.
The Charlottetown Camera Club met bi-weekly in the Charlottetown YMCA until the fall of 1964 when the club began to hold its meetings in the newly built Confederation Centre of the Arts. Meetings usually consisted of the judging of the photo competition as well as a lecture and demonstration regarding a topic of interest, such as how to make contact prints, methods of developing pictures, and the care of cameras. Members also shared their experiences and travels with one another through photo slide shows of their own work.
The Charlottetown Camera Club was active within the community. Beginning in 1960, the Club members photographed the models for the program of the Annual Ladies Aid Fashion Show. The Club also took it upon itself to undertake various projects to help preserve the history of Charlottetown and PEI. One such project was the Old Buildings Photo Album which was completed in 1963. The largest and most ambitious project of the Charlottetown Camera Club was their Centennial project entitled "The Island from Cartier to Centennial". The project was displayed at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery throughout the month of May 1967.
It is unclear when the Charlottetown Camera Club disbanded. The last known list of members included Vera Beck (chairperson), Gordon White, Roland Taylor, Margaret Mallett, Alice Chandler, Helen Duffy, Louise Hersian, Roddy Hickox, Robert Donnelly, and Russell Leard.