Page 15 - Cape-Camera-January-2024

Cape Camera January 2024

An exhibition of Ian's prints were exhibited in the V&A Wa- Ian organised the PSSA Congress in the CTPS centenary year,
terfront during the mid-2000's. where the congress photo was taken in front of a Shackleton.

Some
of Ian's
prints.
Left is a
plane he
photo-
graphed
during
an air
show in
Budapest
about
three
years
ago.

came a full CTPS member in 1967. "Part of the success was procuring Ashley Lazarus, the pro-
Ian was one of the best CTPS print workers, who was ducer of the famous Peter Stuyvesant action adverts as pre-
winner or runner-up in the Western Cape Interclub senter and the interception and diversion to Cape Town of the
competition for four years in a row, and as expected, Kodak colour print exhibition which was on its way to Pho-
he served on the print committee. He held a one- tokino (in Johannesburg)."

man exhibition of his work in the mid-2000's and has In 1970 Ian was asked by the NSRI to "produce a 20 minute
enough prints available for three more exhibitions. documentary that would inform the public and oil compa-
His photographic skills earned him five floating tro- nies of their aim and thus promote their cause." The docu-
phies for prints at CTPS year-end functions and three mentary subsequently won first prize in the PSSA ten best
trophies for his slides. "The high point of all the above film competition.
was being made an Honorary Life member of the Cape "I was subsequently approached by Medic-Alert to emulate
Town Photographic Society." This was in 2003. the documentary made for NSRI, which also won the PSSA
Ian served on the CTPS Council and was elected Vice- ten best film competition." The film was also sent to the
President in the centenary year, 1990. He was respon- States, where it replaced the American film as the official
sible for organising a very successful — and the first Medic-Alert promotional documentary.
profitable — PSSA congress in the Arthur's Seat Hotel His worst memory of his time on CTPS Council occured
in Cape Town, where the Cape Town mayor was guest "when I was Vice-President of the Society, a gentleman by the
of honour at the opening banquet. The congress pro- name of J.R. Ewing of Dallas appeared on the Wednesday
gramme was published in a special section in The Ar-
gus, with news about the centenary. Ian received a night scene and at times we had an attendance of only five
PSSA meritorious services medal for this effort. to eight members — a very difficult time." Early in the '70's
So many delegates registered for the congress that Ian CTPS had about 300 members.
had to abandon the plan for a Dakota — courtesy of He hankers back to the days of print only and the satisfac-
the SAA contacts of Ted Dickinson — to fly around the tion of "on a winter’s night, working in the dark room, enlarg-
country to pick up delegates because the plane would ing your print and watching it materialise as a manifestation
have been too small. The bigger plane offered by SAA of your creation. But, Ian is philosophical about the change.
was too expensive. "Us oldies of a bygone era we must do or die! " he says.

Cape Town Photographic Society 15