Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/03/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I have nothing but admiration for the job Roy Moss has done as editor of the "Viewfinder" and as past president of LHSA. My first conversation with Roy was during my initial year as an LHSA member in 1996. I received a damaged issuer of the "Viewfinder", so called Roy on the phone. I was pleasantly surprised to find a gentleman concerned that my magazine should be in perfect condition, and who treated me immediately as a fellow member of the LHSA group. A year later I met Roy at the LHSA convention in Tucson, where I got to know him better and was able to support him for LHSA President. He encouraged me to write for the "Viewfinder", resulting in my article, "Two Black Beauties" (Vol. 30, no. 3, 1997, p.38). Throughout my writing project, Roy did the thankless job as editor, cajoling me to finish the article, making suggestions, even editing out a couple of paragraphs which I liked, but were not on topic. Looking back, I am especially impressed at his authoritative, friendly persuasion with me, which I am sure he has needed to employ many times in coaxing articles from other unpaid contributors to the "Viewfinder". Don't forget that Roy's job as editor is also an unpaid position - an amazing labor of love, resulting in the finest regular Leica publication available today. I find the breadth and depth of the "Viewfinder" to be consistently better than "Leica Fotografie", for example. Under Roy's leadership, the "Viewfinder" now represents both the Leica collector and user communities with a fine magazine I look forward to every quarter. Because of Roy's love of all things Leica, including those who use them, we all benefit from a legacy of facts, opinions and yes, probably an occasional typo or mistake that finds its way into print. The rare problem is insignificant in comparison to the wealth of information and beautiful photographs, which involve countless hours of work by the LHSA members who actually make the "Viewfinder". Roy deserves the thanks of anyone who appreciates Leicas and their history, which have been so well documented in the "Viewfinder, Quarterly Journal of the Leica Historical Society of America". Regards, Gary Todoroff Tree LUGger