Historical Vignette: The History of PSA's Who's Who

摘要

The idea of a Who's Who in photography originated with the magazine, American Photography, whose editor, Frank R. Fraprie, was a famous photographer interested in ratings of photographic exhibitions. His magazine published an American Annual, which rated exhibitors (to the fourth decimal place) in black and white pictorial photography, until its demise in the 1940's.rnIn 1943, the Color Division of the Photographic Society of America (PSA) sponsored the first all-color slide show. It generated much enthusiasm and, in the same year, several shows were organized and the division began planning for the publication of the first PSA Who's Who for 1943. There were members who opposed the idea and tried unsuccessfully to prohibit the publication. But PSA President John S. Rowan, (later FPSA) supported the Division and the Society's first Who's Who was published in the PSA Journal in 1944. As the idea gained in popularity other divisions established their own Who's Who listing.