| The Buffalo-Niagara Professional Photographers is one of the largest sections of the Professional Photographers of New York State (PPSNY) and is an affiliate of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). The section's roots date back prior to 1907, when Buffalo was a booming seaport on Lake Erie at the mouth of the Niagara River and the Erie Barge Canal. Buffalo was then the eighth-largest city in the United States, with a population of around 400,000, located within 500 miles of half the North American population. |
 fig 1 |
fig 2 |
In 1901, Buffalo had hosted the Pan American Exhibit, an international festival that was noted for its lighted buildings. Buffalo was the first city in the world with electrical streetlights, thanks to Nikola Tesla. (A statue of him is located on Goat Island, a small island near Niagara Falls. He is known as the inventor of the polyphase alternating current that is the source of today's modern electricity.)
Buffalo-Niagara's rich history dates back to the very early 1900's. In 1903 J. George Nussbaumer a Buffalo Photographer (fig 1) became president of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Along with Howard D. Beach (fig 2), Robert R. McGeorge (became president of PPSNY 1927-1928) (fig 3), Harry A. Bliss (became president of PPSNY 1911-1912)(fig 4) and about fifty Buffalo and Niagara Falls region Photographers were to become the charter members of the Buffalo Photographers Section No. 6 of PPSNY. |
|
The Buffalo Section was established in 1907. Frank McCormick took a photograph of the first outing of the Buffalo Section of the Professional Photographers' Society of New York on July 12, 1907. This could very well be one of the first photographs of the group, as the section was just established that year (fig 5). The group took an all-day river cruise, complete with a band for entertainment and three catered meals, and then enjoyed a baseball game in Eagle Park at Grand Island, NY (now Beaver Island State Park). The final score was studio owners 14, studio employees 18 (fig 5a).
|
|
fig 5a
|
|
The Buffalo and Niagara photography groups were united in 1957 (fig 6) by Seaward Sand (fig 7). Seaward was a second-generation professional photographer from Lockport representing the Niagara Falls section. Seaward went on to become the youngest president of PPSNY in 1926. He passed away not too many years ago, past the age of 100.
Buffalonian Howard D. Beach was PPSNY president in 1914, and was also president of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) in 1921. He was an accomplished photographer with clients such as Katharine Cornell, a stage actress, from the 1920s to the 1950s.
|
fig 6 |
fig 7 |
fig 8 |
Beach had photographed artist/writer/critic Sadakichi Hartman (fig 8) in 1914. Howard D. Beach's studio was noted for photographing Native Americans who participated in the Indian Congress at the Pan American Exposition in 1901. Beach was also the inventor of the first concentric varifocal lens in 1946. His design was a homogeneous lens that used an aspheric surface to create the radial progressive power. |
| Sadakichi Hartman wrote numerous critical articles for the early photo magazines, often under the pen name of Sydney Allan. He worked with Alfred Stieglitz, a famous American photographer, until they had a falling out. Sometime after that Hartman moved to East Aurora near Buffalo, where he became involved in the Arts and Crafts community that included Roycroft furniture builders and other artisans. Hartman was fascinated with photography and visited with photographers in Buffalo as seen in the photograph taken in 1911(fig 9). |
fig 9 |
| Over the past 100 years Buffalo-Niagara has produced eleven PPSNY state presidents and three PPA national presidents. Buffalo-Niagara had many Canadian members, creating a unique international section. Throughout the 1950s and into the 1990s, Buffalo-Niagara and the Professional Photographers of Ontario, Canada hosted an International Day, sharing print competitions, speakers and programs that have further enhanced the profession. |
|
The photographers of Buffalo-Niagara can be proud of their history. Modern use of electricity had its start in the Buffalo Niagara region. One hundred years ago, Buffalo was the first city with electric street lighting thanks to the genus of Tesla and Edison. Today the digital world is again creating new challenges with new electronics.
Digital portraiture has now crossed that fine line between fine art and photography. For 100 years we have been servicing the needs of weddings, family and child portraiture and all those special events that need a creative specialist. Although technology has changed photography significantly, it is not the camera that takes the portrait. It is the trained eye, knowledge and the experience that directs and allows the portrait to occur. Buffalo-Niagara and its affiliates have always been the educational organization servicing the needs of professionals who want to learn and grow at the local as well as at the state, national and international levels. Admittedly, incredible changes will occur during the next 100 years. Buffalo-Niagara will always be up to the challenge. And as for photography... there will always be a need for a keen professional artistic eye.
|
|
Bogdan J. Fundalinski, PPA Certified, M.Photog.Cr., ASP
Credits:
Proofing and editing: Janice C. Fundalinski
Historian for PPSNYS: Denise Weldon
|
|
Please direct any questions or comments to us at info@bnpp.org
|
