History

The Boise Camera Club was founded in November of 1934.. This event is commemorated each year in November as the Founder's Day Banquet.

In the early days of the club, photography meant black and white images. Color film did not become generally available until after World War II. In the 1950's, with the growing popularity of color film, about fifteen serious print makers under the leadership of Don and Barbara Haasch, left the club and formed the Boise Photographic Society. Although there was some overlapping of membership between the two groups, the net result was that the slide makers stayed with the original club while the print makers went their own way. Dues for each club were $5.00 per year. In the late 1950's the two clubs started a joint project when the Haaschs, R. B. "Jack" Horner, Dan and Tempa Lou Heidel and others organized the Idaho International Photography Salon. This competition drew print and slide entries from all over the world. Except for two years, it was an annual event that continued until the late 1980's for a total of 27 exhibitions.

When the late David G. Dorsey, APSA, who was later awarded an honorary lifetime membership for his service to the club, joined the Boise Camera Club in 1962, he found the members to be more interested in travel than in serious photography. Buses were chartered for junkets to places of interest and airplanes were occasionally chartered for special destinations, such as Europe and Hawaii. Signing up enough members to fill these charters was sometimes difficult, so to get more members the club was opened to teachers and others who wanted to travel, but who may not have had much interest in photography. Despite this dilution of interest, the photographers in the club benefited from the additional dues that helped the club to acquire needed equipment. Also, many of the non-photographers actively supported club projects such as the Idaho International.

Prior to joining the club, Dave Dorsey had taught a photography class at Boise Junior College (now Boise State University). He was disappointed to find that the club did not provide many educational opportunities for its members. Fortunately, there were other members who shared this concern. One of these was Jack Horner, FPSA, who like Dorsey, was later awarded an honorary lifetime membership in recognition of his long service to the club. Prior to his retirement in Boise he had been active in the Chicago Camera Club and the Photographic Society of America (PSA). His skills, wealth of experience and many contacts with PSA members around the country played an important role in the development of the club and the quality of work done by its members.

Dave Dorsey started the program of monthly field trips. He planned and led these trips for seventeen years. In advance of each trip he would visit the proposed site to make sure that the subject matter, such as spring flowers, autumn colors, or snow scenes, was in prime condition. He also set up the slide workshops that have been a regular feature of the club ever since.

In the early 1960's Dorsey had become acquainted with Helen Manzer, PhD., FPSA, ARPS, a former faculty member of New York University, and full-time teacher of photography, who conducted classes in New York City, New Hampshire and California. In 1965, as a favor to Dorsey, she agreed to stop in Boise while en route to her summer workshop at Asilomar, Pacific Grove, California. During this visit she put on a photographic seminar that was sponsored by the club. It proved to be a great success and was the first of eleven such seminars that she conducted in Boise. With her teaching and guidance, plus the input from Dorsey, Horner and others the quality of work done by club members continued to improve.

While the serious photographers were pleased to be making progress, those members who were mostly interested in travel did not welcome the changes. This led to the formation of the Pioneer Group. The Pioneers had a separate meeting similar to a workshop, where they could show their travel slides and share information about their trips. Although originally a large group, over time the membership gradually declined until the activity was eventually discontinued.

In 1977, with club membership at a low point, the Boise Photographic Society and the Boise Camera Club decided to re-unite under the name of the Boise Camera Club. Since that time the club has featured both intra-club and inter-club competitions in both slides and prints.

At one time the club was a member of the Idaho/Oregon Photographic Council. This organization became inactive in the late 1970's and was finally dissolved in 1988. Club memberships are now maintained in the Photographic Society of America (PSA), Columbia Council of Camera Clubs (4 C's), Inter-club Slide Competition (ICSC) and Inter-Club Print Competition (ICPC).

The monthly schedule of the club includes a general meeting, a print workshop, a slide workshop, a field trip and a board of director's meeting. During the summer months of July and August the general meetings are replaced by picnics held in local parks. In November the annual Founder's Day Banquet is scheduled in lieu of the general meeting. An Awards Banquet is held in February.

Over the years the club has enjoyed the support of local companies that provide photographic equipment, supplies and services, and for this the members are most grateful. Also, within the club there has always existed a core group of competent and dedicated members who have been willing to share their time and expertise with others. There is every reason to expect this constructive spirit to continue as the club moves forward into the future.

While many present and former club members have been helpful in developing this historical information, special thanks are extended to C. W. Blakley, David G. Dorsey and Dan and Tempa Lou Heidel.

Compiled by Graham Cross, 1999

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