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CIRCLES or Postal Portfolios The aim of the portfolio section is to promote the use of Leica equipment for the production of images. There are different types of circles which give their members the opportunity to share images as slides, prints or digital files, either monochrome or colour. The circle members themselves set the interval between submissions. Some circles organise meetings for their members. The only rules of significance are that pictures must have been taken on a Leica camera or one fitted with a Leica lens and that members contribute regularly to the activities of their circle. •CIRCLE 'D' Digital Circle http://tls-circled.blogspot.com/ Circle D was formed in 2011 and operates online. Each month members upload a photograph in colour or black and white to the Circle website allowing other members to comment and vote on the work. Photographers in the Circle use a wide variety of equipment from early screw thread Leicas to the latest M9, or Panasonic cameras with Leica lenses and even a pinhole body cap on a Leica body. The subject matter is varied from everyday scenes to portraits and street photography, but there’s no restriction and it is a chance to share work with like minded photographers. • SMALL PRINT CIRCLES. Nos. 4, 6 and 19. These deal with prints up to 7 by 5 inches. Circle 6 is for monochrome prints only whereas Circle 4 caters for small colour as well as B&W prints. Circle 19 is for colour prints only. It also accepts prints larger than 7 by 5 inches. • "WHOLE PLATE CIRCLE". Black & White. No. 2. Size 10 by 8 inches. • LARGE MONO PRINT CIRCLES. Black & White, Nos. 9, 10 and 11. These circles submit prints up to 16 by 12 inches although print size is not critical but never less than 10 x 8. • LARGE COLOUR PRINT CIRCLE, No. 3. Print sizes may vary from 16 by 12 inches down to as little as 10 by 8. • COLOUR TRANSPARENCY CIRCLES. Nos. 12 and 15. These circles use the standard 35mm slide size. • PHOTO JOURNALISM CIRCLE. No. 17. This circle deals with sets of photographs from each member, often in book form which illustrate some aspect of work or life that the member has recorded on film. Frequency of boxes is less than other circles and is about 4 a year. All entries are for interest and comment only. • SCREW CIRCLE. No. 39. Prints up to 10" x 8" and slides. Entries must be taken on a screw-mount Leica camera. This includes pre-1930 fixed lens cameras and Leica-made replicas of them. The apparently bizarre numbering is a result of earlier circles being replaced by new ones over the years. While commenting constructively is a feature of taking part in some circles, this is not universal and one or two circles do not indulge in any form of marking or assessment at all. Each circle determines its own policy concerning the use of marks, digital work, trade processed prints and frequency of circulation. There is an Annual Exhibition of circles work which in recent years has been held during the Leica Weekend coinciding with the AGM and circles make awards covering many categories. Irrespective of individual circle conventions, trade processed prints as well as digitally manipulated slides or prints are accepted for this Exhibition, provided they originate from a photograph taken by a Leica camera or lens. A Brief History The idea of a postal photographic club, although not new, was quite a novelty in the early 1930's and a society called Photographic Miniature Postal Portfolios was advertising in the Amateur Photographer magazine for new members. Cyril C. B. Herbert who had been using a Leica for 5 years saw this and thought it was just the club for him. He joined in 1933 and was surprised to find that the term "miniature" referred to the size of the prints which were used for the folios and which were 12 sq. inches, i.e. only 3 x 4 inches! In some cases the relations between the larger sized camera users of the day with these men with their newfangled "toys" the 35mm cameras, must have been at times quite strained. There was a growing band of PMPP members who wanted to test their equipment to its full potential and make enlargements of more than 12 sq. inches which they felt did not represent a challenge to the quality of their cameras or their technique. The idea of a Leica Circle was born and in February 1935 a circle for Leica users only was formed. Among the members of that first Leica Circle were several well-known people in the photographic world including the Managing Director of E Leitz (Instruments) Ltd. Soon after this another Leica circle was formed.Eventually the two Leica circles seceded from PMPP and became circles 1 and 2 of Leica Postal Portfolios sending out the first folio in August 1936. Other circles soon followed and a committee meeting was held at 127 Bond Street, London, on 23rd July 1937 where it was decided to hold the first annual general meeting on 2nd October that year. By September 1939 there were 10 circles including one for colour transparencies. The second world war caused the cancellation of the 1939 AGM and the next AGM was held on 6th October 1945 when it was reported that four small prints circles and one large print circle had continued through the war years. Happily LPP was also solvent with a cash balance of £29 8s 8d and a small stock of stationery. The club continued to grow after its recovery from the war and reached a maximum in the early 70's. Circle 9 is the only circle to have been in continuous operation - unchanged - since 1936. |
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