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By 1937 the society had little direction and it was at this point that a joining member from Manchester Mr W. J. Brown (who was simply known as WJ) became the driving force of not only behind the society but also the Northern Counties Federation and the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain. At this time Mr Percy Smith who was a member and owner of the “Dorset Café” in Ocean Road offered the society accommodation at his café’s premises, where we stayed for 17 years until Percy retired and sold the business in 1954.Our time at the Dorset, has been regard by many as the glory years as it at this time that the society became one of the leading societies within the N.C.P.F., with four of our members becoming its President and a great number of other members served as senior officers over the years.
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George Hutchinson 19??
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The weekly meetings were held on the first floor that was the café during the day and at night the rooms were used by the society, and many other organisations operating within the town. In addition to the meeting rooms we had on the second floor a Developing Room, a Printing Room and a Studio, where the members could come and develop their films and prints and prepare their work for competition or exhibition, there was also in addition facilities for the storage of equipment and portfolios of members work.
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George Keen - C. Berwick - W.J. Brown ARPS - C.R.R. Robson ARPS- Harrison Burgess - Jack Redfern 1938-39
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Membership by this time was in excess of 120 members who came from mainly from within the town. Such was the society’s status it was able to command lecturers from far and wide, and it was not uncommon to have members of the Royal Photographic Society come up from London to deliver lectures. In 1954 Percy Smith decided to retire and the Dorset business was sold and the last meeting held there was in May 1954, our new home was not that far away at the Marine School, Ocean Road- just across the road. Unfortunately the facilities here were not so as extensive and a lot of the unused equipment and print portfolios were destroyed or simply thrown away, as the storage in our new home was limited.
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Silver Jubilee Dinner Menu 1938
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Silver Jubilee Dinner Menu 1938
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J. Johnson Gives a Enlarger Demo." The Dorset Cafe" Jan - 1953 © J.C. Smith
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