ADAPS began in 1938 thanks to the vision of local photographer Frank Pickford. Encouraged by his mentor and friend Ernest Staveley, Frank set out to create a camera club for the Atherton area. At the time, only Leigh Literary Society and Bolton Camera Club served local photographers.

An advert in the Leigh Journal invited interested people to a meeting at Church House, Atherton, on 4 April 1938. The response was positive, and Atherton & District Amateur Photographic Society was formed. Professional photographer Tom Lee Syms FRPS became the first President, with Frank Pickford as Secretary. Membership was set at five shillings a year, and weekly meetings were held on Thursdays.

 

Early Years

The first meeting took place on 21 April 1938, featuring a talk on colour photography. Soon after, the club moved into a room above the Wheatsheaf pub. Early activities included talks, exhibitions and outdoor rambles, helping to establish both the creative and social sides of the club.

The first annual exhibition was held in 1939, and ADAPS affiliated with the Lancashire & Cheshire Photographic Union (L&CPU). Despite the disruption of the Second World War, the club continued. Members on active service were sent comfort parcels, and by 1943 membership had grown to 78. Sadly, three members lost their lives in the war and are commemorated in the clubroom.

Growth and a Permanent Home

After the war, the club remained at the Wheatsheaf, but poor facilities and rising rent forced a move. In 1958 ADAPS relocated to the old Band Room on Back Stanley Street. With major volunteer effort, the building was refurbished.

In 1961, thanks to an interest-free loan from Ernest Staveley, the society bought the building outright. Fundraising repaid the loan, which Ernest later donated back to the club. ADAPS had secured its permanent home.

Expansion and Modernisation

During the 1960s and 70s the club extended its premises to include a kitchen, darkroom and indoor toilets. ADAPS thrived in competitions and ran its own events, including the Atherton Whole Plate competition.

In the 1980s the club published a short-lived newspaper, Focus, and continued its long tradition of public exhibitions across the local area and beyond.

Embracing Change

ADAPS has always welcomed new photographic technology—from colour slides in the 1940s to colour printing in the 1990s. Membership dipped in the late 1990s, but the arrival of digital photography transformed the club. ADAPS quickly embraced digital imaging, and membership grew again, at times reaching around 100.

Today, digital and traditional images sit side by side, with members producing highly creative work using modern tools. The club continues to run exhibitions, competitions and community evenings, welcoming anyone interested in photography.

Looking Ahead

For more than 88 years, ADAPS has encouraged learning, creativity and friendship through photography. While the future of photography may bring new technologies, one thing is certain: ADAPS will continue supporting photographers of all ages for many years to come.

 

With thanks to Len Hudson, Archivist of Atherton & District Amateur Photographic Society.