Inside WIPA Wisconsin Imaging and Photographic Association

A History of WIPA as written or taken from the files of Phil Moughmer! {March 1991 issue of WIPA Newsletter} The Wisconsin Industrial Photographer's Association (WIPA) is 36 years old this year. (This story was originally written in March of 1991) It has held together as continuing organization when many others have simply faded away. It's basic educational mission has been carried on by three generations of photographers. We have only six of our early charter members still with us. All are retired from their original jobs. The last is Mike Maradik who retired from Columbia Hospital just last year. (Deceased: Dec. 4, 1999). One Charter member, Mike Durante is returning next year to the WIPA Board as Special Advisor after a long absence. He has served on our Life Membership Committee and has faithfully attended meetings, but this will be his first board position in many years. ( Mike Durante; Deceased: May 20, 1999). There has been a lot of confusion and argument over the founding of the organization. I wrote a short history as one of the first articles in my first term as newsletter editor in 1978. I got nothing but argument about dates and events. Apparently this had happened before because I found a letter from Clarence Hansen (of Allis-Chalmers), first President of the organization, in a history collection addressed to Dick Balinski. It list the order and dates of events leading up to the found of the organization. You will find a list of meetings for the fall of 1955 along with this article. I think you will find programs are very similar to today's . The basic needs haven't changed very much. Photographers who work in a large organization which is not dedicated to their special interest find a sense of isolation. It is hard to keep up with the industry. Reading helps, but a person has to see and touch equipment. He or she needs to talk with others who have the same problems and frustrations. They need to wander through different studios and see other plant layouts and difficulties . These were the basic reasons why Clarence Hansen of the Allis-Chalmers Corporation started pulling names together to see if there was enough interest to form an organization. Robert Wellman of American Motors, Scotty Hall of Line Materials and Eddie Rappold of the Wisconsin Electric Power Co. (WEPCo.) were the founding members who helped enormously to get things started. They spent incredible amounts of time developing programs. One was 'Bosses Night'. The first program had as its main speaker, world famous industrial designer, Brooks Stevens. Department heads and other executives within members companies were special guests. Another major event was a Saturday all day workshop at the Layton School of Art. Programs on portrait lighting, Black and White printing, positive films and their uses, and negative printing were presented. Everything was hands on. Each member got a chance to work with each subject. This type of program was carried on several times into the 1960's. The organization has broaden considerably in the years since founding. Members come from many areas of photography, but the main focus has always been an interest in the industrial , commercial end of photography. Far more of us today have our own independent business. Companies have changed too. There are fewer of the large companies which supported departments. The philosophy has changed as well. Out-sourcing is far more common today than in the past. Even with all of that taken into account, the WIPA still has as many members as it did in the 1960's and 1970's There is still just as much need for communication and camaraderie as in the past. It's just that where the individual works has changed a little. The following is excerpted from a letter to Richard Balinski written by Clarence Hansen September 29, 1976. This is information may be a bit sketchy, but it should clear away some of the cob webs concerning the origin of the WIPA. Sept. Oct. 1954 Chuck Scheiber of Ansco and I talked about forming a group of in-plant photographers, mainly for the dissemination of information among one another. This is possible because there exists no rivalry between them and thus no loss to be incurred by sharing ÏsecretsÓ. Chuck, conveniently had customer listings of just about all the in-plant people in Wisconsin. Nov. of 1954 I sent letters to those people on Chuck's customer listings suggesting the formation of a state in-plant group. The response to those letters indicated to go ahead so during .... A luncheon meeting was held with 4-5 other local based photographers at Mamie's Grotto. Jan. 1955 Another discussion meeting with a larger group of interested parties was held at Vogue Studio. Jan. 1955 I followed that meeting by a trip to Detroit where I met with Ed Purrington of Ford and Neal Westveer of Detroit Edison who were officers in the Industrial Photographers of Michigan. They had suggestions as to how to make an Industrial PhotographerÌs Association. April 8, 1955 The first and only official organizational meeting was held at Marquette University. It is at this time and place that the Wisconsin Industrial Photographers Association was born. There were no other meetings prior to those above. The list of charter members you have on tap: Jack Emslie of E.K. Co. acted as secretary and Bob Wellman was Parliamentarian and as you know, I was elected first president . I hope this clears up some of the existing confusion. Clarence Hansen The following is excerpted from WIPA Newsletters and the memory of Curt Stedman As the face and body of the Wisconsin Industrial Photographers Association began to change in the 1980's and 1990's, thoughts also were being kicked around about also changing the name of the organization. to reflect the changing atmosphere of the photo industry, particularly the loss of photo departments and/or the actual closing of those industrial complexes leaving many ìin-plantî photographers to look elsewhere for photographic opportunities! In the spring of 1995, suggestions for a new name and a name for the newsletter were voted on and finally agreed upon. by the membership. At the May 1995 meeting held at the Land's End Meeting in Dodgeville, WI. By a show of hands of those members present, WIPA was formally renamed the Wisconsin Imaging & Photographic Association. In this manner, the WIPA initials, logo and history were allowed to remain, with appropriate modifications necessary, and a new era was born. The following fall meeting in September of 1995 at Reprographic Technologies, the first meeting of the new season and under its new name, WIPA held another member's vote to finalize the naming of the WIPA Newsletter. Inside WIPA was the winning title. The very first issue of a newly designed WIPA Newsletter, Inside WIPA for November of 1995. Lead articles on the front page announced the November meeting would be held at Harley-Davidson, hosted by Ms. Joette Rockow, who later on became President of WIPA. The second lead story was by the current Newsletter Editor, Dave Busch, entitled "W.I.P.A. Changes Name to W.I.P.A". The Wisconsin Industrial Photographers Association this Fall celebrates its Fortieth Anniversary as a professional trade organization. The Association was founded in 1955 and chartered in 1956. The group, known as WIPA, was originally formed in Milwaukee to foster professionalism and fellowship among the many photographers employed or working for the manufacturing industries throughout Wisconsin. Recently the members of the WIPA recognized two distinct changes in the market place. As manufacturing industries began to decline over the years, so, too, did the number of photographers in WIPA. Secondly, the birth of the information age, along with the rise in personal computing, was drastically changing the tools and methods of commercial/industrial photography. In an effort to keep WIPA a vital trade association, the board of Directors decided upon a change of course that would help bring new ideas and new members into its fold. The members voted to broaden their base of interest and membership by changing the name of the association. As of the 1995/96 meeting season, the Wisconsin Industrial Photographers Association becomes the Wisconsin Imaging & Photographic Association. Continuing to be WIPA! The new name pays homage to the forty years of excellence in industrial photography by retaining the initials that the organization has been known by for so many years. The new name reflects the market place emphasis on computer and digital imaging, and opens membership to those who's work also involves capturing images with computers and/or cameras. The mission of WIPA is still the same today as it was forty years ago, said Jerry Cross, the current association president. "Only the tools have changed, and as photographers we have to keep current with the technological advances in capturing images." The Wisconsin Imaging & Photographic Associations is still actively promoting commercial photography with its monthly meetings while keeping up on the latest information in computer and digital imaging. The group meets during the third week of each month from September through May. Meetings are typically held in photography studios or photo specialty stores throughout southeastern Wisconsin, and are generally hosted by members of the WIPA. More recently the meetings have focused on the latest in computer image manipulation.