Camera Work: A Photographic Quarterly (1906 (Heft 13))

The exceptional works by the recognized masters, there and in Austria, are
quite impressive in their dignity and importance; and, altogether, the “old
country” will have to gird up its loins and look to its armor if it means to
keep worthy of a like respect. This leads me to a reflection that may
partially excuse the comparative slackness of the English workers. We
English Links are, almost to a man, immersed in business the whole year
round, with the exception of the few weeks given to holiday-making. It is,
of course, a matter of luck if the holiday, mostly chosen on other grounds
than for camera-work, takes one to the right place and if the weather proves
propitiously good or bad for the yielding of Salon-pictures; even if the
negatives result, there comes the very real difficulty of finding time to
adequately work them up into things good enough for Salon-walls. To the
artist, the man engaged all day and every day in thinking out artistic work,
by camera or what else, the selection and treatment of Salon-subjects becomes
a matter of real ease compared to the business-man unable, except spasmod-
ically, to give it the thought and prolonged attention it needs. But progress-
ive artistic photography will not be more widely achieved until exhibition-
work is made a matter of continued thought all the year round. The autumn
exhibition must be made the important topic of the thought given to camera-
work: three fine pictures are worth any number of irresponsible exposures
leading to nothing fit for public exhibition.
But even then, we exhibition-organizers, as well as the public, must
remember that it is not to be expected that every year can beat each previous
year; there is always too large an amount of luck in getting hold of the
right subject and finding it when in perfect condition. The real test of
progress will be found, not in the presence of a minority of startlingly fine
things, but in a general freshness of aim, in new paths being traversed, the
refusal to redo what has been done so often before; and, lastly, in nothing
being shown to the public that is not as fully worked out as its subject
demands. Frederick H. Evans.
September 15, 1905.

THE CRITICS.
Upon the critics’ hearts press theories
Of all the schools the many do not heed.
Theirs are the sad responsibilites
Of teaching myriads who will not read.

Dallett Fuguet.