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Doris Dodd Doris Dodd, A.C.I.S., A.R.P.S.

Accomplished amateur photographer

24 January 1902 - 4 October 1988

Doris Mary was the eldest daughter of Richard Harry Dodd (born 25 April 1876 in Erdington, Aston, Warwick) and Mary Ann Bills (born 1875 in Sandwich, Kent).

She was the eldest daughter of two girls. Richard and Mary moved from Poplar and the family lived in Kenilworth Avenue, Walthamstow, London.

She worked as a secretary to a firm of Accountants in the city and never married.

Her father Richard was a keen amateur photographer and in her spare time, Doris developed the skills required to take, develop and print photographs.

Throughout her life, Doris was an active member of Photographic Societies. On 21 October 1957 she paid a Guinea for one years subscription to the City of London and Cripplegate Photographic Society (Established 1899), affiliated to the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain and the Photographic Society of America. Their headquarters were located at The Cripplegate Institute, Golden Lane, London EC1.

The Summer Programme of The Walthamstow and District Photographic Society (Established 1894) features Miss Doris M Dodd's name on the front page as Hon. Treasurer. Doris was also listed in the programme as scheduled to present a talk on Print Finishing and Mounting. The reverse of the programme has a list of officers for 1959-60 and the President was Miss Doris M Dodd, A.C.I.S., A.R.P.S.

Further down this list names the Exhibition Secretary and R. H. Dodd, her father.

The City of London and Cripplegate photographic society held an Invited Countries and Members Exhibition 8 - 20 August 1966 at The Royal Exchange, City of London. Doris is listed as a member of the Advanced Group and exhibited 3 photographs and one slide. At this time, Doris had specialised in photographing within churches and focussed on fine wooden panels. Her entries for this exhibition include


 * Journeying to Jerusalem
 * No. 3
 * Bronze door panel: Ploughing.

and under the member's colour and monochrome slides


 * Cottage Door

Following the death of her beloved father Richard in 1965, Doris retired and moved to New Milton with her long time companion May. She became a member of the New Milton and District Photographic Society and continued to exhibit her work. She won many Cups including the Cruse Cup in 1968, 1969 (shared with G. Harrison), 1970, 1974 (shared with G. Harrison) and 1976. Like all accomplished amateur photographers of the time, Doris purchased the rolls of film, took the photographs and then developed, printed, framed the images both in paper and slide form. This process, which took place in a dark room was complicated, involved hazardous chemicals and extremely time consuming. However, it gave the photographer the option to print and reprint negatives. No.3 above probably refers to an image which had been previously submitted to a competition but had been improved on since the original submission.

In an era before colour photography, Doris also developed the art of adding oil paint colours to her black and white images. She frequently chose landscapes and often sent these to her close relatives as calendars.

Doris embraced portrait photography and the trend for more informal images. Her photograph of her father Richard, reading a book is a fine example of her skills and eye for detail.

Over the years Doris amassed a considerable collection of negatives, photographs and slides which she meticulously catalogued.

Doris lived quietly in New Milton and in 1986 is photographed holding her great nephew Craig.

Seven years after the first digital camera went on sale to the public, Doris died at the age of 87. Her surviving two nephews agreed to this information and these images being published on Wikipedia as a record of her personal achievements in an era prior to modern digital photography.