Boston Camera Club

The Boston Camera Club is the leading amateur photographic organization in Boston, Massachusetts and immediate vicinity. Founded in 1881, it offers activities of interest to amateur photographers, particularly digital photography. It meets weekly and is open to the public.

Photography was introduced in 1839. For some decades practice was limited largely to professionals because it involved laborious wet-plate processes. Amateur photography in the United States received major impetus in 1880 when the future Eastman Kodak Co. introduced dry plates—glass plates with chemical emulsion already applied. In 1888 Kodak introduced the first flexible roll photographic medium—first paper and soon film—and third-party processing. These innovations brought photography to the masses. Still, as among professionals, photography practiced in camera cubs typically used glass plates until the early 20th century, when film was finally accepted. Throughout the chemistry-based era, third-party processing was typically eschewed if not prohibited in camera clubs, except later in the 20th century for color photographs.

The club known today as the Boston Camera Club was founded October 7, 1881 in Boston, Massachusetts as the Boston Society of Amateur Photographers. It is the second-oldest camera club, and perhaps photographic organization of any kind, continuously extant in the United States founded at least in part by amateurs.

The club was founded by F. H. Blair, James M. Codman, W. C. Greenough, A. P. Howard, Lucius L. Hubbard, Frederick Ober, and John H. Thurston, with Thurston having the most influential role. At first temporary officers were elected. The seven men were joined on November 18, 1881 by James F. Babcock, William T. Brigham, Wilfred A. French, and William A. Hovey, at which time permanent officers were elected—Brigham president, Babcock vice president, and French secretary and treasurer. At first the club met in the offices of the Boston Sunday Budget. Later it met at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at the time located in Boston.

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