Amateur Club Photography pre-PSSA
Kimberley club office bearers (left). Right: Early Port Elizabeth Camera Club members in front of the Atheneum building. Photo courtesy of the PECC.
The Kimberley Camera Club was founded in May 1890, with the Rev. Ogle as President, Malcolm Macfarlane as Hon. Secretary and F. Skead as Vice-president. Not much is known about the club, apart from reports of interaction with other clubs and that it was a Foundation member of PSSA and had added a cine section by 1955. It subsequently died a natural death, but was resurrected on the 14 April 2008, with the original name and logo. It is no longer active. Cape Town Photographic Society, founded on 30 October 1890, is the oldest active club in the country, and has retained an active and growing membership for more than 130 years. Its founding, and subsequent history has been recorded through the preservation of minute books, brochures, rule books, two history books and books written about member activities. See more under Club News. The P. E. Amateur Photographic Society was founded on 27 July 1891 with sheet metal worker and Walmer mayor William Alcock as President. It is today the second oldest active photographic society in the country, known as the Port Elizabeth Camera Club (PECC), after a name change in 1934. The Grahamstown Amateur Photographic Society was founded in the early 1890’s with Miss Clarke of the Academy of Diocesan School for Girls as Secretary, according to the Grahamstown Guide of 1893. There are no further records available of the club, which was no longer in existence when PSSA was formed in 1954. According to an article by Dr Kin Bensusan in Camera News of June 1958 the following additional photographic societies had been formed by 1895: King Williams Town Photographic Society Cradock Camera Club Maritzburg Camera Club Mossel Bay Amateur Photographic Club South African College Photographic Society Oudtshoorn Camera Club The early clubs maintained friendly relations. They exchanged group photographs of members at Christmas time and held interclub outings. The Johannesburg Photographic Society was established in 1899 with the writer J. Percy Fitzpatrick as President. By 1900 there were 11 amateur photographic societies in South Africa, according to the Encyclopedia of Nineteenth Century Photography, edited by John Hannavy. Click here to download an article by Dr Kin Bensusan about the early years before the formation of PSSA. |
Camera equipment from the 1930’s. Photo: courtesy of Krugersdorp Camera Club. (left). Right: Worcester Photographic Society members discussing prints during a meeting at a members’ house. Photo: courtesy Camera News.
1921: Durban Camera Club founded.
1931: Krugersdorp Camera and Cine Club founded, which had grown to more than 100 members by 1955.
1948: Albany Photographic Society formed by Dale Wallace. They later undertook combined outings with Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Rhodes camera clubs.
1950: Worcester Photographic Society founded by Mr H. Fricker.
1951: Camera Pictorialists of Johannesburg founded in April by Gordon Maddox and Dr Kin Bensusan as an informal group to explore Johannesburg from a photographic angle during outings. It operated independent of other organisations.
1951: George Camera Club founded.
1952: Uitenhage Camera Club founded with 8 members who didn’t want to travel to PE for meetings. The first chairman was Jack Robinson. According to Camera News (April 1955) they hosted the First Eastern Cape Salon of Photography in 1954, with acceptances exhibited in Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth and George. Hon Secretrary R.C. Klem reported as follows: By means of a visitors’ book and calculations it was ascertained that over 4,000 people in the Eastern Cape saw the Salon.
1952: Modderfontein Camera Club founded with 6 members. By 1955 they had 72.
1953: Potchefstroomse Kamera-Klub founded.
1954: Salisbury Camera Club formed in August.
There were many failed attempts to form a national representative body for amateur photographic clubs in Southern Africa, dating from as early as 1898. After WW11 the Johannesburg Photographic Society attempted to form a unified body and in 1946 the Cape Town Photographic Society was approached to draft a constitution for a Federation of South African Photographic Societies. In the old Transvaal various attempts to create a national organisation also failed.*
The main concerns were that the stronger Provinces/regions would dominate the society and that individual photographers would have little say in the administration of a unified organisation. Some photographers also feared that their special photographic interests (e.g. cine or pictorialism) would not be accommodated by a large governing body. The dissenters believed that South African Photography in general needed to be promoted, rather than one South African organisation.
Dr Kin Bensusan of Johannesburg Photographic Society, nevertheless worked tirelessly to win support for a national organisation. During 1953 he typed and mailed over 4 000 letters to potential supporters. This resulted in prominent photographers attending a meeting at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, to discuss the founding of a national organisation. Twenty-two of the 23 existing clubs supported Dr Bensusan’s efforts to hold a photographic congress to launch a unified body – ironically, his club, the Johannesburg Photographic Society did not support this endeavour, although they agreed that a photographic convention might serve a useful purpose.
The delegates who met in Houghton in December 1953 agreed that the first congress should be held in Durban from 24 to 26 July 1954. Dr Bensusan was appointed President of the Photographic Society of Southern Africa, with W. Murray-Brown of Durban and Robert Bell of Cape Town Photographic Society as Vice-presidents. The Memorandum and Articles of Association for the public company known and registered as the Photographic Society of Southern Africa Ltd was drafted by Branny Penny from Krugersdorp, a Company Secretary, Dr Bensusan and an attorney.
*Silver Images – History of Photography in Africa by Dr A.D. Bensusan. Published 1966 by Howard Timmins.
P.S.S.A. founding and first year
Delegates from 26 clubs became foundation members of P.S.S.A. when they attended the first congress opened in the Durban City Hall on July 24th. These clubs were (alphabetical):
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July 1954: the founding congress was attended by delegates from clubs who announced their support for the new national body, as well as the South African representative of the Photographic Society of America, Nat Cowan. Delegates accepted the Memorandum and Articles of the Photographic Society of Southern Africa and elected the following office bearers: · Dr Kin Bensusan (Johannesburg) – President · Robert Bell (Cape Town) – Vice-President · Dr. J.K. du Toit (Pretoria) – Vice-President · Branny Penny (Krugersdorp) – Company Secretary · M.C. Margetts (Johannesburg) – Honorary Treasurer. A representative Board of 15 Directors was elected. Four committees were inaugurated at congress with the following chairpersons: · Rosie Rosewitz – Membership · Joseph Denfield – Portfolios, Print Collections and Exhibitions · Lionel Bevis – Tape Recorded Lectures · Eric Vertue – Journal The Motion Picture Division was incorporated the following year. About 300 individual members joined during the first year, and the first Honorary Life Memberships were awarded, according to one of the recipients, Mr Dewald Van der Merwe Badenhorst (left). He is from Midlens Photographic Club in Middelburg and turned 90 in 2024. Oscar Abramovitz from Pretoria Photographic Society is another PSSA Foundation Member. He turned 94 in 2024.
In February 1955 the new office of the Photographic Society of Southern Africa was registered. It was situated on the corner of Plein and Wanderers Streets and was used for executive meetings and administration. There was a members’ room where country members could relax and enjoy the library and other facilities. A telephone was available, and meals and teas could be served from a nearby restaurant. All members visiting the city were invited to sign the visitors’ book and learn more about the activities of the P.S.S.A. from the administrator manning the office. Eric Vertue and Dr Joseph Denfield In the first issue of the association’s journal (Camera News April 1955) Dr Kin Bensusan wrote in his Presidential Address: never before in photographic circles in this country has such a willing band of workers toiled so hard for a common effort. The Council itself is truly representative of all parts of Southern Africa, and being democratically elected, it is the Council which the members themselves have chosen. He made special mention of the ‘Herculean efforts’ of: · A. (Rosie) Rosewitz, the Chairman of the Membership Committee; · Eric Venue and his Journal Committee; · Dr. Joseph Denfield and his Portfolio Committee; · Lionel Bevis and John Geldard of the Tape recordings Committee; · Secretary Branny Penny, and his assistant Elsa Naude; · Murray Margetts, Honorary Treasurer. First Eastern Cape Salon: In Camera News of April 1955 Uitenhage Camera Club Hon Secretary R. C. Klem reported: In the past year the club organised and ran the highly successful “First Eastern Cape Salon of Photography”. This was well patronised by photographers from all over Southern Africa. Nearly 100 entries, comprising 400 prints, were received. The Salon was opened by the Mayor, Councilor Ofsowitz, at a cocktail party. Through close co-operation with the school principal, most of the Uitenhage School children attended during the showing. Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth and George were the other 3 centres where the Salon was exhibited. By means of a visitors’ book and calculations it was ascertained that over 4,000 people in the Eastern Cape saw the Salon. Of particular interest was a panel of prints by Baron, J. Allan Cash F.I.B.P. F.R.P.S., Brian Seed (of Life Magazine) and Kurt Hutton (of Picture Post). Throughout the period of organisation, help and encouragement was received from Dr. Bensusan, the Johannesburg Camera Club and the Cape Town Photographic Society; to these and the many other helpers we are gratefully indebted. May 7th and 8th 1955: the 1st Photographic Convention of Northern Rhodesia hosted by Roan Antelope Camera Club was attended by Dr Bensusan. Andrew Hayward was the Northern Rhodesia representative on PSSA and a loosely knit Association of Northern Rhodesian Photographic Societies was formed to coordinate photographic activities in the region.
1955 October: P.S.S.A. metal badges were issued with lapel, pin and screw fittings, the latter for fixing to camera bags. |
The decade 1955 – 1965
From a poster compiled by Antenie Carstens
From left: PSSA Presidents Dr Kin Bensusan, Robert Bell, Lionel Bevis, Branny Penny and Rosie Rosewitz. Photos from Camera News.
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1955: A P.S.S.A. Award for Advancement and Service is introduced. The first recipients were Membership Chairman Rosie Rosewitz and editor of the Camera News journal, Eric Vertue (Camera News November 1955). 1955: In December the Motion Picture Division of P.S.S.A. was incorporated with David Millin as chair. 1956: At the PSSA congress in Cape Town, Dr Kin Bensusan said in his address as outgoing President “no one individual, no one club and no one Province should ever have sufficient say in the affairs of our organisation to dominate it. I shall be introducing the motion of equal Provincial representation for I sincerely feel that this is the only way we shall cement the friendly relationships which have been forged between photographic leaders in our respective Provinces. We shall be failing in our duty to those that come after us if we do not immediately safeguard these Provincial rights in our charter”. He mentioned that he had visited most member clubs during the preceding year and found that it was especially the smallest clubs that had benefitted most from P.S.S.A. membership, for P.S.S.A. “has provided them with the link they have badly needed, and facilities on a National Scale which nearby larger Clubs have previously been unable to provide for them.” Read Dr Kin’s full address to the 1956 congress here. 1956: A salon was held to coincide with the congress. 1956: Dr Bensusan reported in Camera News August 1958 “In the short space of two years, this new body was to become the third largest photographic society in the world, with over 1 000 members and encompassing more than 100 Clubs and Societies from Nairobi to the Cape.” 1957: Up to the formation of PSSA, members could only earn Honours from overseas associations, like the Royal Photographic Society (e.g. ARPS) or the Photographic Society of America (APSA). In August 1957 the first South African Honours were awarded to the following photographers, who became Associates of PSSA:
1958: In the publication Photograms of the Year British critics described Will Till of the Johannesburg Photographic Society as “one of the great landscape masters“. They continue “it is interesting to compare (Dr. Kin) Bensusan’s prints with Will Till’s South African landscapes, which are usually peaceful and serene. Dr. Bensusan, a younger man, shows similar subjects but with more vigour and vitality.” |
4 -7 November 1955 Congress in Pretoria
1956 Congress in Cape Town
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The decade 1965 – 1975
Denis (DW) Bradley | 1965 | 1966 | Camera Pictorialists |
RD Stephen | 1966 | 1967 |
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Vernon Burton | 1967 | 1968 |
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Ted Dickenson | 1968 | 1969 | CTPS |
DG Beadle | 1969 | 1970 |
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R Gooden-Till | 1970 |
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Peter du Toit | 1970 | 1973 |
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Roy Johannesson | 1973 | 1975 | CTPS |
1966 Congress in Durban
1967 Congress in Bethlehem
1968 Congress in Germiston
1971 Congress in Durban
1972 Congress in Johannesburg
1973 Congress in Wilderness
1974 Congress in Port Elizabeth
The decade 1975 – 1985
Les Luckhof | 1975 | 1977 | Springs Photographic Club |
Barrie Wilkins | 1977 | 1979 | PECC |
Andre du Toit | 1979 | 1981 |
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Louis Marais | 1981 | 1985 |
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Subsequent congresses were held in the following venues:
1978 Congress in Rustenburg
1979 Congress in Cape Town
1980 Congress in Pretoria – click here for the program.
1982 Congress in East Rand
1983 Congress in Port Elizabeth click here for the program.
1984 Congress in Johannesburg
The decade 1985 – 1995
Barrie Wilkins | 1985 | 1987 | PECC |
Reg Ansell | 1987 | 1989 | Benoni |
Frank Reuvers | 1989 | 1991 | CTPS |
Reg Ansell | 1991 | 1993 | Benoni |
Barrie Wilkins | 1993 | 1994 | PECC |
Frank Reuvers | 1994 | 1996 | CTPS |
1986 | Middelburg | |
1987 | Graaff Reinet/Cradock travelling congress, hosted by PECC | |
1988 | Pretoria | |
1989 | Edenvale | |
1989 | Kalahari Wildlife Convention | |
1990 | Cape Town | |
1990 | AFO Wildlife Convention | |
1991 | Velddrif | |
1991 | Natal Wildlife Convention | |
1992 | Bloemfontein | |
1992 | Kruger National Park Nature | |
1993 | Johannesburg | |
1994 | Nelspruit | |
1995 | Wilderness |
The decade 1995 – 2005
Derek Pearman | 1996 | 1998 | Edenvale |
Barrie Wilkins | 1998 | 2001 | PECC |
Terry Carew | 2001 | 2003 | Johannesburg |
Johan Botha | 2003 | 2005 | Krugersdorp |
· 1996 | Durban | |
· 1997 | Port Elizabeth |
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· 1998 | East London | |
· 1999 | Velddrif | |
· 2000 | Johannesburg | |
· 2001 | Vanderbijlpark | |
· 2002 | Graaff-Reinet | |
· 2003 | Bela Bela | |
· 2004 | Barberton | |
· 2005 | Drakensville |
1999 Regional Directors introduced: To ensure that smaller regions who sometimes felt sidelined at Board level are represented, it was decided at the 1999 Velddrif Congress that half of the directors would be elected by the PSSA members in a specific region. These Regional Directors started their first term of office in 1999 at the congress in Velddrif. The ten Regional Directors are elected every two years on alternative years to the election of directors on a national basis.
The decade 2005 – 2015
Francois Roux | 2005 | 2007 | Vanderbijlpark |
Jill Sneesby | 2007 | 2009 | PECC |
Sadie Glibbery | 2009 | 2011 | Edenvale/Nelspruit |
Johann van der Walt | 2011 | 2013 | Vereeniging |
Jill Sneesby | 2013 | 2015 | PECC |
· 2006 | Velddrif |
· 2007 | De Doorns & Vanderbijlpark |
· 2008 | Magoebaskloof |
· 2009 | Hermanus |
· 2010 | Clarens |
· 2011 | Hartbeespoort |
· 2012 | Mykonos/Langebaan |
· 2013 | St Lucia |
· 2014 | Skukuza -Kruger National Park |
· 2015 | Swellendam |
The decade 2015 – 2025
Francois Rousseau | 2015 | 2017 | Bethal |
Anne d’Oliveira | 2017 | 2019 | Johannesburg |
Francois Roux | 2019 | 2021 | Vanderbijlpark |
Jill Sneesby | 2021 | 2023 | PECC |
Simon Fletcher | 2023 | 2025 | Southern Suburbs |
· 2016 | Langebaan | |
· 2017 | Johannesburg | |
· 2018 | Port Elizabeth | |
· 2019 | Sabie | |
· 2020 | Virtual/Covid KZN | |
· 2021 | Nieu Bethesda | |
· 2022 | Greyton |
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· 2023 | Drakensville | |
· 2024 | Parys |
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