Having spent a lifetime behind the lens, Perc E. Powell worked in the photo field since the age of 13, when he had to leave school and go to work after the death of his mother.
Howard Moo Young, Contributor
THE FIRST camera club in the West Indies, known then as the Colour Photographic Club of Jamaica, was organised in 1964 by Perc E. Powell, a Canadian. This year, 2004, marks the 40th anniversary as the Photography Club of Jamaica. As president and past president of the club, and on behalf of our members I am dedicating this article to the founder and founding members, Maria La Yacona, Dr. Warren Robinson, the late Archie Lindo and others.
THE FOUNDER
"In 1963 I was thinking about retiring, but an advertisement by Canadian Kodak caught my eye," remembers Powell. "They were looking for a professional photographer to reorganise Kodak's Jamaican distributorship. I applied, got the assignment and moved to Kingston."
Powell spent three years in Jamaica as manager of Stanley Motto Photo Lab, until Jamaica's Independence brought with it a work permit requirement for all foreigners living here.
He decided to leave and head for Clearwater, Florida, where he purchased a Camera Centre downtown from Alex Zachary. In 1977 he finally retired, selling the centre to his son Butch to carry on the Powell photo business.
Perc E. Powell carried the initials EFIAP behind his name, recognition of his excellence by the French International Association of Photography for the excellence of his "work and technique in the cause of photography."
But the veteran of the photographic trade might also consider using the title 'reverend' if you care to stretch the imagination a bit. After all, Canadian-born Powell was possibly the only photographer alive at that time who had his work used as a church sermon.
The occasion was a special showing of his colour slide presentation 'Nature's Cathedral' during a regular Sunday service in the Centenary United Church at Hamilton, Canada, where Powell became one of North America's most-honoured photographers.
The idea of using a pair of slide projectors and alternating them to fade from one image to another, while taped background commentary and music played, was developed by Powell and first shown to a Hamilton audience in Canada in 1953. Since then, thousands of people have seen the inspiring and beautiful programme, pictorially spanning the four seasons, and Powell had contributed thousands of dollars to charity from the donations for his presentation.
Having spent a lifetime behind the lens, Powell worked in the photo field since the age of 13, when he had to leave school and go to work after the death of his mother. "I got a job in 1918 as a messenger boy in a photo finishing plant in Winnipeg, where I was born, and worked my way through every department in the business," Powell says with the pride of a man who earned his way to the top of his profession.
"You could say I spent 19 years in the darkroom and be right. I literally went inside in the morning and came out in the evening. I never saw daylight on many days. I was paid $1.00 a day when I started and worked six days a week, with no holidays either."
Powell was an enthusiastic outdoor man on Sundays, however, particularly in the Canadian sport of snowshoeing. His chance to move up in the photo trade came as a result of a trip to Montreal for a snowshoe gathering.
"We made the trip by train, and on the way back I heard about an opportunity in Hamilton where a new photo finishing plant was to be built," he said. "I applied for the job and was hired to design and manage the operation. That was 1938. Three years later I bought the business, which was doing mail order photo finishing for customers from Vancouver to Halifax. We did 10,000 prints on most days."
FROM PHOTO FINISHER TO PHOTOGRAPHER
About that time, Powell, no longer a 'prisoner' of the darkroom, began perfecting his own skills as a photographer. He formed Hamilton's first camera club and began making his mark in photo competitions. In 1945 he went into the photo equipment retail business, after selling the photo finishing plant.
Honours came often to Powell. He received more than 400 awards and as a businessman was named Canada's dealer of the year by Photo Trade Canada and presented a certificate of merit for his many years service to the Colour Photographic Association of Canada.
He described the gathering at a village named Above Rocks in the mountains of Jamaica as "romantic" or perhaps unusual. "When I arrived after a two-hour trip at night over narrow, twisting roads, there wasn't a soul in sight. But a priest came out and asked me to tell him when everything was ready. After I set up my equipment, he rang the church bells and within 20 minutes I had an audience of more than 100 native Jamaicans, sitting quietly on long wooden benches under the stars."
THE LEGACY
After 40 years, many Jamaican photographers, including members of the Photography Club of Jamaica (PCJ), owe their initial interest and success to the foundations and principles, laid by this illustrious Canadian photographer.
The club has produced many champion photographers in the JCDC / Festival National Photography Annual Competitions, such as Warren Robinson, Kai Meng Lui, Robert Paisley, Howard Moo Young and others. Members have also tasted success in the Commonwealth, British Council, Kodak Caribbean and other International competitions.
Bryan Cummings, Franz Marzouca, Jeremy Francis, Billy Perkins, Hugh Wright, Tony Wong, Andrew Smith, Brian Rosen and many other photographers have gained much experience as members of the PCJ and have made their contributions in workshops ranging from still life, sports and action, glamour, photojournalism, portraiture and other categories.
STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE
The club's 40th anniversary photography exhibition, featuring past and present images opened on Tuesday, December 7, 2004, at the Great House, Devon House in St. Andrew.
As we continue to make our mark in the ever growing field of photography, we ask our fellow members to strive for excellence and follow the example set for us by our founder, who has been an inspiration to us all.
The seed that was planted in 1964 by Perc E. Powell, now stands proud and tall like the mighty oak tree, fully rooted into the very foundation of the arts in Jamaica. Many of us will be forever grateful for the vision of a small group of foundation members who gave freely of their time, their knowledge and their passion with the camera.
There will be a special exhibit featuring photographs from past presidents and foundation members including Maria La Yacona, Archie Lindo, Warren Robinson, Donald Lindo, Roy DeSouza, Douglas Orane, Kai Meng Lui, Robert Paisley, Claude Fletcher, Tony Wong and Howard Moo Young.
The exhibition will run until the end of the year. Members of the public will have a chance to meet the photographers this afternoon between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at Devon House.
Howard Moo Young is an advertising/graphic design/photography consultant with more than 40 years experience.
