Amateur Photographer - UK (2019-10-18)

subscribe 0330 333 1113I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI 12 October 2019 11

1884–

B

eingnearly 50 yearsoldinthe
yearofAmateurPhotographer’s
launch,photographywasfar
froma newmedium.Butthe
pursuitofphotographyfroma hobbyistor
‘amateur’pointofviewwasa muchnewer
phenomenon,makingit a ripemarketto
launcha weeklypublication.Inthe 135
yearssinceourveryfirstissue– dated
Friday, 10 October 1884 – thephotography
world,andindeedthewiderworld,is
prettymuchunrecognisable.
Imaginehoppingintoa timemachine
andhandinga readerofthefirstissue
thelatestcopyofAP;theirmindwould
beblownbyfullcolour(oneverypage!),
thelatestadvancementsinphotographic
technologyandthewiderangeofsubjects,
andcontributors,publishedalltheseyears
later.Letusalsoimaginewhatthelaunch
editor,J HarrisStone,wouldhavemadeof
photography and this magazine in 2019.

Weplaceourofficiallaunchdateat

1884;however,in1908,APmerged

withitsrival,PhotographicNews, which

hadlaunchedin1858.Theeditorof

PhotographicNewswasputatthehelmof

thenewlymergedmagazines,withcontent

frombothpublicationscombined.It could

thusbearguedthatAPis 161years old.

Standingthetestoftime

Whicheverdateyouchoose,it’sfairtosay

thatintheinterveningyears,veryfew

publicationshavestoodthetestoftime.

OnlytheRPSJournal(fi rstprintedin

1853)andBritishJournalofPhotography

(launched1854)remainasstalwartsof

theVictorianage,whilenoneotherthan

ushavesurvivedasa weekly.Noother

photographymagazineintheworldhas

publishedsofrequently,forsolong,and

sodominatedthemarketlikeAPhas,

and even today, with so many rivals, AP

accountsforaroundhalfofallthephoto-

magazinepurchasesatnewsagentsand

supermarketsacrosstheUK.

APhasbeenthrougha fewname

changesovertheyears,mainlybecause

ofmergersandacquisitions.It dropped

thedefinitearticleinthe1950s,buthas

maintainedits‘amateur’monikersince

dayone.Thisis botha blessinganda

curse.We’reexceptionallyproudof

ourheritage,butourreadershiphas

alwaysboastedmanydifferentkindsof

photographerovertheyears.Recently,

theword‘amateur’hascometomean

somethingquitedifferentthanwas

originallyintendedbackin1884.Many

believeit torelatetobeginners,the

inexperiencedorthosenewtothehobby.

Buttousit reflectsitsoriginalmeaning:a

devoteeoradmirerofa pursuit,whatever

theirlevel.Evenprofessionalscanstillfind

plentytoenjoyinourpages.

Writinginour110thanniversaryspecial

issuein1994,nobodymadethepoint

betterthanLordSnowdoninan

introductoryletter.Heremarked,

‘In many ways, despite its title,

How it all began

Yourfavouritephotomagazinehasbeengracing

newsstandsfor 135 years.AmyDaviesand

Nigel Atherton guide you through its history

AP SINCE THE BEGINNING