It is my sad duty to mark the passing of one of our more senior and venerable members from Australia. But more than that, Alan was part of my network of members I discussed topics with. This recently came to fruition with a joint article we produced for the RPS Journal.
The image here is Alan with his RPS Fenton medal, taken in 2013. Alan distinguished himself as an author and particularly as a scholar of the work of early Woodburytype image reproduction. His work is being compiled for the RPS by the Australian Chapter and will form part of his legacy to Photography.
Alan's work with the Melbourne Camera Club as archivist enabled us to work together on glass plate prints. During this early dialogue it became apparent we had taken some parallel paths as fellow chemists in photography. This resulted in the joint Journal article as members working together irrespective of location.
The widespread use of platforms like Zoom has brought us all closer together. It was my pleasure to welcome members from as far afield as Australia to our recent AGM. It also made it possible for me to accept an invitation to attend Alan's recent 99th birthday celebrations. And to send him a virtual beer!
No man is an island. I know his presence and contributions will be missed in the Australia Chapter. I will miss his contribution this side of the globe too.