George Alexander

American; Male; active ca. 1910

Mentioned in the following:

Chicago Photo Fellows' Exhibition

By F. M. Tuckerman

In September, 1909, six of Chicago's amateur photographers, all con-

genial friends, "tried and true," organized the little society that is the subject

of this article.

Its founding was the result of a feeling on the part of all the men con-

cerned, that, through lack of organized effort, of a definite goal to be reached,

and of just yet kindly criticism of pictures from proofs to mounted and

framed completeness, the individuals were working at a great disadvantage.

It was thought that a small body of friends with similar ideas on art

and its expression by means of the camera, and capable of giving and taking

intelligent criticism kindly, could, when working for a definite and desirable

result at an agreed and equal rate of progress, accomplish much for them-

selves and for each other.

The possible membership of the new club was, therefore, fixed at ten, a

few simple rules adopted to insure new members being congenial and possessed of satisfactory artistic ability and sufficient enthusiasm to move forward with

the original members. It was also the tacit understanding that any member

finding himself unable to '"keep the pace" was to drop out, thus keeping the

organization in good working condition and unhampered by any dead timber.

Meetings were to be held monthly, each member agreeing to produce a

finished picture each quarter, proofs being submitted for criticism the first

and second months. Prints accepted were to be given the Club's official

label, and to be reserved for exhibition for the first time by the Photo Fellows.

This program has been carried out faithfully, and as a result, the Chicago

Photo Fellows, now seven in number, were able to place on exhibition in the

Art Institute of Chicago, in December, 1910 — a little over a year after its

organization — twenty-eight pictures that attracted the attention of artists and

the general public alike.

The collection possessed a variety of subject, composition and treatment

that was very pleasing, many of the effects obtained exciting questions from

visitors as to their being "really photographs."

Regardless of process, however, the results obtained showed an appre-

ciation of tonal quality, of composition, of simplicity of treatment and har-

mony of mount and frame that was very gratifying.

While not being followers of impressionism, and printing obscure sug-

gestions of pictures, the Photo Fellows have eliminated the hard and unneces-

sary detail so often seen even in the better class of modern photography, and have presented their subjects with force, precision and truth, yet with a com-

plete subordination of "process" to "idea."

Some of the more admired pictures were "Market Day," by D. H.

Brookins, a vigorously lighted street scene in the Ghetto, printed in brown

ozobrome. Air. Brookins' "Snow Storm," a cold bromide, was also a favorite

because of its simple and delicate though bold handling.

J. Morris' "Echo from the Rhine," a bromide full of atmosphere and

feeling, was. perhaps, his best print, though his "Madeline," an ozobrome

print of a smiling girl, was a close second. H. Howard Hyde's work was all

in carbon, "The Steerage," a dark blue print, and "In the Alps," in Italian

green, being the best of his four prints.

"The Sweeper," a grey bromide print by Paul Wierum, was a favorite,

though his "Thorn Tree Hill," a striking red toned bromide of a long hill,

topped with an old tree against a wind-swept sky, commanded instant atten-

tion. His "Noonday Rest." a beautiful street scene, was also exceptionally

good. George Alexander used the same process to produce his "Brush Fire."

which was only second in excellence to his "Pond Lilies," a beautiful dark

green print of a pool with floating blossoms and shadows of the trees beyond.

C. YV. Christiansen's work is well known to all readers of photographic

magazines, but his four ozobromes had a beauty and quality that could never

be reproduced by any halftone. "Autumn Evening," a study of a cornfield

under an evening sky, was the best of the prints he showed.

F. M. Tuckerman's work consisted entirely of portraits in platinum and

ozobrome.

The entire exhibit, which was shown in company with an exhibit of

twenty-nine prints by the Buffalo Photo Pictorialists, was pronounced by

those who know to have been the best exhibit of photographic work ever

shown in Chicago, and certainly demonstrated the value of the small, care-

fully selected, hard-working club.