By GEORGE D. FIRMIN.

N presenting to the ANNUAL The School Camera Club, I realize that, to most, the subject is unfamiliar; but I trust that what I may say will encourage photographers in general to take a little more personal interest in these little societies which are now a part of every well equipped school. Most of us are busy men and those not in the teaching profession may find it difficult to give much time to these young people who are literally working in the dark. One will be amply repaid for any trouble or effort in behalf of the pupils of the schools. To be sure many teachers now-a-days dabble in

photography and they can be of great assistance to their pupils. Unfortunately modern mechanical methods and lack of time cause these busy teachers to overlook or ignore the fundamentals which the photographer and artist quite properly consider necessary to thorough work.

How may we help the boys and girls It has been my privilege and pleasure to come in close touch with the camera club of the Philadelphia Northeast Manual Training High School (quite a name, isn't it?). This club has been in ex

istence several years. Its purpose is to help students photographically inclined. Any member of the school may join. An exhibition of the work of members is held in June of each year. Prizes, usually ribbons, are awarded the best pictures. During the year instruction is given in development, various printing processes, lantern-slide making, bromide enlarging

and the making of enlarged negatives. While a club affair and not in the school curriculum this work is under the direct supervision of the Professor of Chemistry. Other instructors willingly lend a helping hand; so we have lectures on optics, general science and art. The Forestry Club and the Camera Club find that they can work together very nicely. This as

sistance from so many apparently unlike departments helps not only in photography but also in correlating the general school work of the student.

When the boys enter the school those interested in camera work are requested to bring examples of their work, privately, to me for criticism. A great deal of care is necessary here or the boy may be discouraged and give up altogether. Some of the prints submitted seem hopeless, still I try to find some redeeming feature before making suggestions as how they might be improved and how to do better work next time. Most boys take very kindly to these criticisms. I try to persuade them not to change anything because I say so but because they see that the suggestion is an improvement. They are not told "This would be better, etc." The form is more apt to be "Don't you think that possibly this might improve, etc." That usually starts a flood of suggestions from the

boy himself.

The two young men whose photographs accompany this article have worked with me faithfully for something over two years. While accepting my criticisms favorable and unfavorable in the spirit in which they were given, they have retained their individuality. They have ideas of their own and these show in their work. They have learned much more than the mere technique of development and printing. They have gone far towards learning the value of "exclusion"something of proper balance and much of appropriate mounting-a most important thing-too often neglected.