In Memory of Ralph Roseman

Ralph Roseman, an original member of the SVCC, has many interesting and fond memories of his 50 years in Camera Club. He recalled how Leo Krell, who owned the Photo Departments in Birmingham area Pizitz stores formed the SVCC. It was October 1954; Mr. Krell invited a group of people with interest in photography to meet once a month and just share experiences. Some of the earlier members were Jan & Bob Ellenburg, Helen Kitinger, Perry Covington, George McClarin, and Earl Mann. Ralph remembers some of the outstanding presidents and leaders over his 50-year membership: Dr. & Mrs. Simon, Dr. Ken Gordon, Dr. Perley, Harriette Wright, Dr. Joe Dixon, Cory Jackson, Mary Brush, Dan Schaus, Mike McGary, J. Blach, John Parker, George Ritchey and Ron Bowen. The Club met at the original site of the Homewood Library. Mr. Krell would invite the club frequently up to his lake house in Guntersville. The club decided to meet the 1st & 3rd Thursdays because there were many members of the Audubon Society in the group and they didn’t want to lose their members to the Audubon meetings, so they compromised with alternate meeting dates.

When Ralph first became interested in photography there were no SLR cameras. The first was an Exakta SLR with 35 mm film but they were very expensive. The speed of the film was 10, and the camera had a left hand film advance, which was unpopular with most right-handed photographers. He recalls the market not having SLR competition until the late 50’s. Kodacrome was the only slide film in those days. After graduating from Univ. of Miami in Chemistry, Ralph went into the Air Force Reserves and picked photography to study as an option. He studied photography in the Air Force at Yale & in Denver Colorado. Ralph became a photo lab officer in Louisiana then went on to the photo intelligence and interpretation dept. overseas to Italy for a photoreconnaissance group during WWII. Ralph’s department would study film taken by pilots and assess the enemy’s situation. He first saw the Exakta in Italy but was unable to afford one. Later, Ralph was called back into active Air Force from reserves to Germany during the Korean War. He was able to purchase his first SLR there. Ralph has collected and sold cameras ever since. His involvement with camera club enabled him to get a new job after retiring from a family business. He became a medical photographer for the pathology department at UAB. He still submits slides to a medical stock company he dealt with while working at UAB.

Ralph had a lot to do with forming SVCC bylaws and constitution, and was a keeper of the archives until recently. He has served in most positions on the board over the years. He recalls why we have our banquet in March every year. There was a banquet planned at The Club in January with snow on the ground and no one was able to get up the hill, so they changed the month the following year. He thinks the first banquet was in the early 60’s. There was a time also that the club went down to about 10 people per meeting but the group was able to survive and joined the Photographic Society of America which seemed to help the club.

Hats off to 50-year member Ralph Roseman, a man with a long and interesting background in photography.

In Memory of Ralph Roseman

Ralph Roseman, an original member of the SVCC, has many interesting and fond memories of his 50 years in Camera Club. He recalled how Leo Krell, who owned the Photo Departments in Birmingham area Pizitz stores formed the SVCC. It was October 1954; Mr. Krell invited a group of people with interest in photography to meet once a month and just share experiences. Some of the earlier members were Jan & Bob Ellenburg, Helen Kitinger, Perry Covington, George McClarin, and Earl Mann. Ralph remembers some of the outstanding presidents and leaders over his 50-year membership: Dr. & Mrs. Simon, Dr. Ken Gordon, Dr. Perley, Harriette Wright, Dr. Joe Dixon, Cory Jackson, Mary Brush, Dan Schaus, Mike McGary, J. Blach, John Parker, George Ritchey and Ron Bowen. The Club met at the original site of the Homewood Library. Mr. Krell would invite the club frequently up to his lake house in Guntersville. The club decided to meet the 1st & 3rd Thursdays because there were many members of the Audubon Society in the group and they didn’t want to lose their members to the Audubon meetings, so they compromised with alternate meeting dates.

When Ralph first became interested in photography there were no SLR cameras. The first was an Exakta SLR with 35 mm film but they were very expensive. The speed of the film was 10, and the camera had a left hand film advance, which was unpopular with most right-handed photographers. He recalls the market not having SLR competition until the late 50’s. Kodacrome was the only slide film in those days. After graduating from Univ. of Miami in Chemistry, Ralph went into the Air Force Reserves and picked photography to study as an option. He studied photography in the Air Force at Yale & in Denver Colorado. Ralph became a photo lab officer in Louisiana then went on to the photo intelligence and interpretation dept. overseas to Italy for a photoreconnaissance group during WWII. Ralph’s department would study film taken by pilots and assess the enemy’s situation. He first saw the Exakta in Italy but was unable to afford one. Later, Ralph was called back into active Air Force from reserves to Germany during the Korean War. He was able to purchase his first SLR there. Ralph has collected and sold cameras ever since. His involvement with camera club enabled him to get a new job after retiring from a family business. He became a medical photographer for the pathology department at UAB. He still submits slides to a medical stock company he dealt with while working at UAB.

Ralph had a lot to do with forming SVCC bylaws and constitution, and was a keeper of the archives until recently. He has served in most positions on the board over the years. He recalls why we have our banquet in March every year. There was a banquet planned at The Club in January with snow on the ground and no one was able to get up the hill, so they changed the month the following year. He thinks the first banquet was in the early 60’s. There was a time also that the club went down to about 10 people per meeting but the group was able to survive and joined the Photographic Society of America which seemed to help the club.

Hats off to 50-year member Ralph Roseman, a man with a long and interesting background in photography.