EPS Member

Hippolyte J Blanc

1844-1917

 

President of EPS  1888-92

Hippolyte J Blanc was a prominent Member of Edinburgh Photographic Society.  He was President from 1888 until 1892, and  Honorary President from 1896 until his death in 1917.

He was an architect, a pupil of the architect and Photographic Society of Scotland member, David Rhind.

Hippolyte J Blanc gave several lectures on architecture:

5 Apr 1886

Melrose Abbey [with lantern illustrations]

9 Jan 1889

Photography and Art

3 Mar 1897

Photography as an Aid to the Architect 

12 Jan 1898

Composition in Architectural Studies  [lecturette]

He appears in the photograph below.

Raising of St Cuthbert's Parish Church Bell  -  1902

Raising of the Church Bell at St Cuthbert's Church - 1902

©  Reproduced by courtesy of the Yerbury Family.   Click here for link to web site.

Raising of St Cuthbert's Church Bell  -  1902

The Photo

LEFT to RIGHT:  Archibald Ballantine (artist),  John MacDonald (caretaker),  Mrs Wallace Williamson,  Dr J MacGregor,  Mr Rankine (Beadle),  Mr Wood (Beadle),  Dr Wallace Williamson,  Hippolyte J Blanc (architect)   [Photographer: not known  -  possibly JCH Balmain]

St Cuthbert's Church

St Cuthbert's Church is situated behind St John's Church at the West End of Princes Street.

The Hall of St Cuthbert's Church was the venue of Edinburgh Photographic Society's annual International Photographic Exhibition from 1957 until 1979

His gravestone is in Warriston Cemetery, Edinburgh.

 

Waverley Market Bazaar

The 'Notes from the North' column in Amateur Photographer on 20 November 1891 [p.381] reported on a recent bazaar in Waverley Market:

"H J Blanc, President of Edinburgh Photographic Society, was the architect for a large bazaar which was held in the Waverley Market, Edinburgh last week, in aid of the Widows and Orphans' Fund of the Edinburgh City Police and of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Mr Blanc got great credit  -  and deservedly too  -  for his work.  The market was got up to represent a village and the artistic taste with which he grouped representatives of historic buildings together was really admirable.

 

 

 

Hippolyte J Blanc RSA, Architect

Obituary

Hippolyte J Blanc's obituary was published in Transactions of the Edinburgh Photographic Society, April 1917.  It reported his death from pneumonia, on 12 March 1917, after a short illness.

He was described as one of the oldest and most enthusiastic members of EPS, having joined the Society in 1864.  He gave assistance to EPS when they acquired their premises during his term as President.

He was keen on technical and architectural aspects of photography and from 1898 onwards gave annual prizes, competed for by EPS members.

He donated one of his early cameras to EPS,  described [in 1917] as "cumbersome and now very antiquated apparatus, giving an impression of what photographers had to carry when they sallied forth an a photographic expedition"

Hippolyte Blanc retained his interest in Edinburgh Photographic Society throughout his life, acting as judge of the EPS Exhibition in the month of his death.

Published in Transactions of Edinburgh Photographic Society, April 1917, p4.

 

 

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