Re: [Leica] OT Re: UK magazines

[Malcolm McCullough <blayne@mbox2.singnet.com.sg>]

Dan K wrote:

>In 1969 when I became serious about photography, Amateur Photographer was a
>well respected weekly magazine which costs us poor secondary school
>students $1.30 per copy.  Yet that was the best magazine available and we
>willingly parted with our hard saved pocket money to read it from cover to
>cover.

What about Camera Owner which became the equally badly named Creative
Camera Owner then, still no better, Creative Camera? They had some
inspiring stuff, miles away from AP. At the time I though that AP was aimed
at people who wanted to become FRPS's (Fellows of the Royal PS). I cherish
the issue of CCO in which Raymond Moore was 'Camera owner of the month'.
There couldn't be a worse description for Ray (God rest his soul). There
was a later CO magazine, I think. Nothing to do with the original.

The thing about CC was that it was financially supported by Colin Osman,
the publisher. He was an enthusiast. His other love was racing pigeons (the
pigeons usually beat him) and he published a pigeon mag as well. His
initials happened to be C O O, so his company was called Coo Press - very
appropriate for a pigeon magazine publisher. CO, CCO and CC had a lot of
images and very little tech talk or adverts. CC was printed by sheet fed
gravure in the early days. It had a silver cover. 

CC is still hanging on. I seem to remember going to its 25th birthday party
a while back, before it moved from London to Manchester. It has changed
ownership and style (hasn't photography changed a little as well?), but is
still heavy on content and very light on advertising and tech talk.

I think that the distinctive UK photography magazines have been the low
circulation ones that dealt with photography itself and had very little
advertising or technical content. Camerawork is the most famous (an
anthology of articles was published recently). Ten.8 was another.

Regards,
Malcolm
Singapore