The Bromoil Circle of Great Britain - Centenary 2007

Albert Barraclough
Threshing
n.d.

Bromoil print
36 x 29 cm

The Bromoil Circle of Great Britain
© The artist

On Luminous-Lint we have put up several exhibitions on Bromoil Prints but here I want to address a little known area of photographic history - the postal clubs. Maija McDougal FRPS, President of The Bromoil Circle of Great Britain, has kindly provided an introduction that gives the history of the Bromoil Circle from its foundation in 1931 by Sam Weller as the Bromoil Circle Postal Club. In the pre-Internet days it was difficult for small groups of enthusiasts with common interests to keep in touch and share visual media and the solution was to mail boxes of photographic prints between the members - a practice that still continues today.

In 2007 as it was the centenary of the bromoil process the Bromoil Circle published a commemorative volume including works by their members.

"The Art of Bromoil Centenary 2007" (The Bromoil Circle of Great Britain, 2007) ISBN: 978-0-9557199-0-5 printed by Aldine Press Ltd, Malvern, WR14 3NB, UK.

It has never been the intention of this group to swing with contemporary photographic trends but rather to perfect a process and to continue, in the most part, to examine themes that were common within late 19th and early 20th century European pictorialism.

Thanks to Maija McDougal and all the members of The Bromoil Circle of Great Britain that have allowed their works to be included in this online exhibition.

I would be interested in hearing from members of other postal photograph clubs and I'm also interested in the photo-historians who have researched them. Alan - alan@luminous-lint.com

There is an online exhibition of this series on Luminous-Lint.