Other Photographic Journal Pages

BJP

British Journal of Photography

and the

PSS

 Photographic Society of Scotland

1857

Unauthorised publication of PSS Reports

William Crooks justified his action on the grounds that he had just read a report in another journal.  He called a meeting of his own organisation, and they found his actions justified.

1858

Invitation to PSS

On 8 March 1858, George Shadbolt, the journal’s new Editor, wrote to PSS:

As a perfect stranger to you, it will perhaps be as well to give some account of myself before stating the object of my communication.

It is as a brother photographer that I venture to intrude upon you,  and although a member of the Council of the Photographic Society I have very recently undertaken the office of Editor of the Liverpool & Manchester Photographic Journal.  It is in the former capacity that I beg to assure you that there is no impropriety in your compliance with the request I have to make in the latter one.

The Liverpool & Manchester Photographic Journal aspires to be the organ of the provincial photographic world as much as the London journal does with regard to the metropolis, and one of the prominent features of its pages is the reporting of all the meetings of photographic assemblies whenever and wherever they may take place.

As a member of the London Council I am of  course aware of the nature of your arrangement (as Secretary to the Scotch Photographic Society) with us in regard to the Journal; but as I have somewhat liberal views as regards all scientific matters, I see no reason why I should not publish the proceedings of the Scots Society in the Journal of which I am the Editor, of course with the sanction of this body provided you can furnish me with a duplicate copy of the same, and this could be readily done without extra trouble if the document were written with copying ink and a press copy taken.

The proposal I make would entail no expense whatever upon your Society, while of course additional publicity would be given to your proceedings, and as regards the London Society you will at once see that my brother members of council take a similar liberal view to myself when I state that I have special permission to introduce a Reporter to our own meetings, in order that I may be furnished with the necessary particulars for publication in the Journal under my control.

Should you, on laying this proposal before the governing body of the Scotch Society , be inclined to accede to the request, I shall be ready to insert both proceedings and papers at as full length as you may desire, reserving to myself only a rejection of anything personal that might give rise to ill feeling, or that which is palpably and scientifically erroneous.

I think there is very little reason to apprehend the desired insertion of anything coming under either category, but it is of course only reasonable to make the proviso.  You will of course understand that I do not desire to urge the smallest departure from existing arrangements, but only to extend the diffusion of photographic news and thereby not only promote the interests of the art itself, but also an amicable feeling amongst all its professors. 

Trusting that your views may coincide with my own,

I am Dear Sir

Yours 

………..

George Shadbolt

1859

George Shadbolt tries another approach

The Photographic Society of Scotland had formal arrangements for balloting and electing new members.  

I can trace only one occasion when there was opposition to a member being elected. That was in May 1859

The Hon Sec reported to the PSS Council that he had received an application through JT Taylor for admission of Mr Fenney, short hand Reporter, as a Member of the Society.   The Hon Sec stated:

"Mr Fenney desired admission into the Society solely for the purpose of reporting its proceedings for the Liverpool Photographic Journal - a proceeding which the Hon Sec stated was of course violating an agreement with the London Society for the publication of the proceedings in the Photographic Journal."

The Council accordingly determined that steps should be taken to exclude Mr Fenney from the Society as a Reporter and that a Statement of the circumstances should be made to the Meeting previous to his being balloted for.

c.1860

BJP publishes the Papers read at PSS and EPS

Following all his efforts to persuade the PSS to publish their papers in the BJP during the 1850s, George Shadbolt was successful from 1861 onwards, when both the Photographic Society of Scotland (PSS) and Edinburgh Photographic Society (EPS) published their papers in the journal.