Ries-Brothers-History.Pdf
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The2014 • Issue 172 J New Englandurnal Journal of Photographic History The Journal / 2014 1 l Society ica o r f to N s e i w H E c Greetings from Your President i n h g p l a a n r d g , o t I n o c h . When I joined the board in 2013, under John Dockery’s enthusiastic P F O 7 3 and capable leadership, I asked what I thought was a pretty simple question, U N D E D - 1 9 “What is PHSNE?” I had ample experience of PHSNE as the sponsor of Photographica—what I believe is the largest and perhaps the only two-day show and sale of photo gear and images left in the country—but I didn’t 2014 • Issue 172 New England Journal of Photographic History quite have a handle on the idea of what a photographic historical society is. Photographic Historical Society of New England, Inc. Are we a group that somehow fosters the study of history and uses Editor photography to do so? Are we a group mainly concerned with the techniques Amanda R. Smith and material goods of the craft, in keeping and showing off the good stuff Journal Committee from decades past? Are we a camera club that stresses traditional ways Carl Jones James A. Luedke, Jr. and equipment? Does being a photographic historical society differ from Richard (Whitey) Morange being a photo group? Is there an emphasis on the idea of society in that Proofreader name? If so, how does it affect what we do? Jane Mackay Richard I have yet to get a convincing answer to my question, but I believe Design and Prepress that is because there is no single answer. We are all of those things and Karin Lundgren perhaps much more that I have yet to understand. And yes, there is an PHSNE Board of Directors emphasis on society, because we operate as a collective in many ways. President: Richard (Whitey) Morange In a society, roles and tasks are shared and defined again and again as Past President: John Dockery Vice President: John Wojtowicz needs and times change. In a society, members help define the goals, Secretary: Allan Goodrich and perhaps, more importantly, the character of the group over time. Treasurer (acting): John Dockery We have by-laws, regular gatherings, and publications, but most of Elected Members at Large all we have each other. Our knowledge, our enthusiasm, our passions Jay Goldman Lewis Regelman define the society. Collectively, we are our own best asset. Ruth Thomasian Henry Weisenburger In the next year, I hope to tap that asset to make sure that we share Lawrence Woods what we know with other groups: university photo history programs, Membership Chair historical societies all over New England, and young photographers Joe Walters trying to understand where what they do fits into the historical arc of [email protected] the craft. To that end, I ask all members to think about how they might Photographica Shows be able to share what it is they know. Can you write for us? Connect us Spring Photographica Show 83: April 11 & 12, 2015 Americal Civic Center, 376 Main Street, Wakefield, with a group that might benefit from that connection? Give us a lead on Massachusetts. Fall Photographica Show 84: TBD how we can bridge the gap between the mature understanding of veteran Show Manager: John Dockery Phone: 781-592-2523 collectors and the enthusiasms of younger photographers? Tell us how Email: [email protected] you want to define who we are. Talk to me. Join in in any way you can. Contact Without you, we’re just a show and a newsletter. Society is an important PHSNE part of our name. P.O. Box 650189 West Newton, MA 02465-0189 So…41 years. Maybe not as dramatic as “40 Years!” or “Anniversary Issue!” but, after the party, we have to get back to regular everyday life and Annual Membership in the Society US $15 Student, US $35 Individual, US $40 Family, focus on the future. For PHSNE, of course, that means continuing to examine US $45 Foreign, US $350 Life the past and helping others do so through the lens of photographic history. It is Application available at phsne.org.membership Membership email address: [email protected] with pride that we present this 2014 issue of The Journal to further that goal. ©2014 by Photographic Historical Society of New England, Inc., a non-profit, tax-exempt Richard (Whitey) Morange educational organization dedicated to the PHSNE President preservation of our photographic heritage. Printed in the US by MagCloud, magcloud.com 2 The Journal / 2014 “Technology has allowed the curious to find their communities.” 23 36 — Ron Cowie Contents Submission Guidelines for The Journal Greetings from the President Inside Front Cover We welcome all pitches and inquiries for future issues. Send your ideas and questions to [email protected]. The Saturday Night Club: 4 We’d love to hear from you. Photos of “Risqué” Behavior from the Turn of the Century Images: All digital images should be high resolution, saved in TIFF format, not JPEG. Each image file by Paul Rheingold should be at least an 8 mb TIFF file, or the equivalent of 8 x 10 inches at 300 dpi. Modifications for Folding 10 Sheet Film Cameras Traditional film-based images should be a sharp color by John Wojtowicz or black and white print, on matte finish paper. The print should be at least 4 x 5 inches and no larger than 8 x 10. 35 mm slides cannot be accepted. The Ries Brothers and 14 Their Place in Hollywood History Text: Please submit all documents in a digital file. by Robert Peters Microsoft Word, 12-point type is preferred. Please use upper and lower case format, not all caps. Digital and Vintage Processes 34 Work and Play Well Together Additional guidelines can be found at phsne.org/archive/ by Ron Cowie TheJournal/JournalSubmissionGuidelines In Memoriam Inside Back Front cover photo: Park Ries with camera on set at Universal Studios in 1915 (detail). See complete photo on page 21. Photo courtesy of Marc Wanamaker Cover of Bison Archives. Back cover photos, clockwise from top left: Photo from the collection of Paul Rheingold; Camera from the collection of John Wojtowicz; Park Ries, Universal Studios Camera Department, March 15, 1915; “Where There Is No Boat, I Will Put a Boat” by Ron Cowie, 8 x 10 platinum print from his 2008 Leaving Babylon series. 9 The Journal / 2014 3 THE RIES BROTHERS and Their Place in Hollywood History by Robert Peters 14 The Journal / 2014 The Journal / 2014 15 The five Ries brothers, Irving, Park, Ray, Paul, and Frank moved to Hollywood from Chicago with their widowed mother in 1913. All of them found careers in the new film industry. Branching into the tripod manufacturing business strategic material, while aluminum was in demand for was a logical step for the Ries brothers— being involved aircraft and other military uses, so Ries continued produc- in filmmaking, they knew what made a suitable tripod. tion uninterrupted during World War II, although most Park, Paul, and Irving had the of the company’s production was necessary skills to design and for use by the armed forces. Ries manufacture, and their profile in products have always been made in early Hollywood gave them the America, and from the company’s connections to market the product. beginning, Ries has always been Ries tripods have always been known by professional photog- crafted one at a time from wood, raphers for outstanding customer which provided an important edge service. These tripods also appeal in the marketplace. Westerns were to serious art photographers because extremely popular at the time the the wood used in the tripods’ tripods were introduced, and tripods m a nu f a c t u r e h a s a n a t u r a l “ wa r mt h” made of wood were much more and beauty that inorganic materials comfortable to handle than metal simply lack. A scuffed Ries tripod in the hot desert locations often can easily be retouched if the owner selected for filming. Ries tripods wishes to keep his or her tripod are still built according to these looking like new. specifications today. I initially undertook writing The early Tri-Lok tripod patented this article simply to reconstruct by Paul and Park Ries had metal the history of the Ries tripod, which fittings that came into contact with is still manufactured in Bremerton, the crown (also called the top plate) Washington, by Ries Productions and prevented the legs from and remains a preferred instru- collapsing during use. This feature ment for photographers worldwide. in itself was a breakthrough. Park However, in the process I uncov- further improved the tripod in ered the story of the Ries brothers 1950 by developing and adding themselves and how their work in the current version of the patented the early days of the film industry Tri-Lok braces, which lock solidly influenced the development of into place. Often a tripod’s unbraced the Ries tripod. Unfortunately, center post introduces camera Figure 1, opening spread: Universal Studios Administration while the tripod lives on, the Ries Building, March 15, 1915. Photo by Park Ries. Figure 2, vibration, but Ries tripods have above: Park Ries, Universal Studios Camera Department, brothers have been largely over- never had a center post, which makes March 15, 1915. looked by history. The following them more stable. This stability is timeline provides a look at the one reason that, even today, Ries tripods are often specifically brothers’ contributions to the development of the film called for in testing of electronic equipment.