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print this pageThe Seattle Camera Club: Inclusivity and the Development of Art Photography in the Pacific Northwest
Christian Waguespack
Friday, November 07 - 11:00AM to 11:20AM
Founded in 1925, the Seattle Camera Club emerged as a community of Issei (first-generation Japanese immigrant) photographers devoted to the Pictorialist style that defined early twentieth-century art photography. While the club's 39 charter members were all Japanese men, its membership quickly grew to include artists from diverse backgrounds—by 1925, only one quarter of its members were of Japanese heritage.
Despite its brief five-year existence before disbanding during the Great Depression, the Seattle Camera Club became one of the nation's most successful early photographic societies. Although not the only Japanese-founded photography organization in the United States, it was distinctive in its inclusive ethos—welcoming Caucasian photographers and women, thereby expanding opportunities for collaboration, exhibition, and recognition.
This presentation traces the club's history and examines its aesthetic principles, exploring how its commitment to racial and gender inclusivity contributed to its influence on early American fine art photography through both publications and exhibitions.
speaker
Christian Waguespack
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